After a tough run in their first major home tournament since 1996, where Pakistan ended up without a win in the 2025 Champions Trophy, things didn’t get any better. They faced New Zealand in a series of matches and unfortunately suffered defeats, losing 4-1 in T20Is and 3-0 in ODIs. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif shared his thoughts in a chat with IANS, saying that both the unique conditions in New Zealand and some selection issues were big reasons for their poor performance.
Latif pointed out that right after the Champions Trophy, the team had to jump into more matches, and soon after, they’ll be tied up with the Pakistan Super League for about 38 days. He expressed confusion over this schedule and how the team struggled on the field. He mentioned that the pitches in New Zealand play quite differently. In the past, the ball used to seam and swing, but it didn’t bounce much. Now, the extra bounce seemed to be a problem for the Pakistan batsmen. Latif also noted that the selection of players hasn’t been good enough, which added to the team’s struggles.
As the PSL approaches on April 11, Latif highlighted an important issue: the ‘lack of supply’ of new talent for the national team. He stressed that stability is key and pointed out that the recent performances in ICC tournaments show serious concerns. Latif, who used to keep wickets for Pakistan, emphasized the need to keep top players challenged with fresh talent coming up to potentially take their places.
“It all boils down to what’s happening at the grassroots level,” he mentioned. Latif feels like there’s too much focus on the top players, and not enough on the domestic circuit, which is essential for keeping the talent pipeline alive. He noted that first-class cricket, the PSL, and domestic T20 competitions have been struggling for the last five years. With multiple PCB chairmen coming and going in such a short time and changes in the selection committee, there’s been a lack of stability which has hurt the team.
He also pointed out the losses in big tournaments, like the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and the 2023 ODI World Cup, saying that this is far below what Pakistan cricket used to represent. “We have standout players like Babar, Shaheen, Haris, Rizwan, and Fakhar. But when you have only a handful of stars and the development of new players is lacking, it creates issues. If you look at India, for instance, they have two capable players ready to step in for every position. We need to improve from the grassroots all the way through to domestic cricket,” Latif concluded.
