The humiliating performance in the ICC Champions Trophy drove Mohammad Rizwan’s team into the darker depths of cricketing sphere just when fans thought Pakistan cricket couldn’t drop any more. The present situation with the Pakistan team is not a new creation. Former cricketers and specialists believe the signs were already present for several years developing. Former captain Babar Azam is supposed to have chosen his team members haphazardly from among his “friends” and ignored others maybe more qualified; hence, he is primarily responsible for Pakistan’s present state.
Babar, the national team’s captain, was accused by veteran Pakistani cricketer Ahmed Shehzad of &’favouritism,’ when he was himself on the sidelines for a few years now.
“Seeing him like this is indeed tragic.” It appeared he would break all records for Pakistan once he started his career. Players don’t fail for this long, however, everything is now in front of you. To have a performer the captain was erroneous. Once he was appointed captain, he chose friends for the team against competency level and surrounded himself. Shehzad told Sports Today: “When you treat friends better than worthy players, genuine performers do not get many opportunities and so the wheels of domestic cricket stop turning.
When it comes to player selection, management, or even coaching staff, Shehzad also mentioned political meddling in Pakistan. Former Pakistani batsman says politics have been so powerful that “merit” hasn’t always been the team selection criteria for some time.
“Political interference has always been there; there is no question then.” The state of the team is not owing to the last two years; rather, it has been going on for some time now. Shehzad added, “When you don’t bring reforms, honor merit, or control team indiscipline, eventually these results will arrive.”
