Pakistan Cricket in Crisis: A Call for Structural Change

NEW DELHI: Pakistan cricket has lived through chaos before. This feels different. This feels like a system tearing at the seams.

Two heavy defeats to England, a 2-0 deficit in a three-Test series, and then the Pakistan Cricket Board hits the panic button. Hard. Seven players sent home, the head coach sacked mid-tour, the bowling coach removed, white-ball staff parachuted into a red-ball crisis, a former captain walking away from key roles.

For Atiq-uz-Zaman, former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter, it is not just a poor run of form. It is an institution, in his words, “in shambles” and at an “all-time low”.

Lord’s defeat triggers a brutal shake-up

The numbers at Lord’s told their own story: a 194-run defeat, Pakistan outplayed and out-thought. The response from the PCB was swift and ruthless ahead of the final Test at Edgbaston, starting September 9.

Seven players were told to pack their bags. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also sent home. White-ball coaches Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke were suddenly handed control of the Test side. Misbah-ul-Haq resigned from the selection panel and stepped away from his batting consultant role at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

The message from the board was clear: change, and change now. The message to the dressing room was far less clear.

Atiq, watching from England but speaking with the hurt of someone who wore the Pakistan shirt, could not believe the timing or the logic.

“I don't understand why Khurram Shehzad was dropped or why the spinner (Ali Usman) was sent home after taking the most wickets in the Leeds Test,” he told IANS. “All of a sudden, now T20 bowlers are brought into the Test squad. Why? Because Mike Hesson has his personal favourites, and he brought those players into Test cricket.

“I don't understand what's going on. Pakistan cricket is in shambles at the moment. It really hurts me because, even though I live in England, I am Pakistani at heart. I played for my country and I want them to improve and perform well in different conditions. Pakistan cricket is currently at an all-time low.”

‘Either you were wrong then, or you’re wrong now’

If the selection calls confused him, the treatment of Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul angered him.

“There is no justification for it. The same people who selected them are the ones turning around and deselecting them. That means either you made a mistake in the first place, or you are making a mistake right now.”

Sarfaraz and Gul are not fringe names. They are World Cup winners, men who have carried Pakistan on big stages. Sarfaraz lifted a World Cup at U19 level, then captained Pakistan to the Champions Trophy title. Gul terrorised top orders around the world.

“Look, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul are greats of Pakistan cricket. They’ve won World Cups for Pakistan. Sarfaraz won a World Cup at the U19 level and then won the Champions Trophy as national captain. He deserves respect,” Atiq said.

He did not agree with Sarfaraz’s appointment as Test head coach in the first place, and he did not hide that.

“Now, I personally didn't agree with him becoming the Pakistan Test team head coach because he lacked prior coaching experience and qualifications. I didn't support that appointment. But once you make him the coach, you have to back him. Give him a fair chance before you disrespect him and send him home in the middle of a Test series. It is unacceptable.”

For Atiq, the blame lies not with the men in the dugout, but with those who picked the squad and now seem to be scrambling for cover.

“I feel very sorry for Sarfaraz and Umar Gul because I don't think they did anything wrong. If the players on the field can't perform, or if you haven't selected a team capable of performing, what is a coach supposed to do? Let's see what Mike Hesson does now.”

Imam-ul-Haq and the question of courage

Amid the structural chaos, one individual decision cut through the noise: Imam-ul-Haq’s choice not to bat at Lord’s.

The opener suffered a Grade 1 tear in his left calf. He did not bat in either innings. He did, however, come out for batting practice, and later appeared in front of the media in shorts, bandaged leg, limping heavily. That did not sit well with Atiq.

“Look, I won't speculate on the exact severity of his injury, but in our culture, we are raised to be tough. If you have a Grade 1, 2, or even Grade 3 muscle strain, you still step out there and bat for your team. Even if you get out on the first ball, it doesn't matter - the public sees that you showed heart, and they respect you for it.”

He reeled off examples that are part of cricketing folklore: Glenn Maxwell battling severe hamstring cramps to score a double hundred, Chris Woakes batting with a fractured hand, Saleem Malik facing West Indies fast bowlers with a broken arm.

“Imam-ul-Haq should have walked out to bat. Even if he got out immediately, nobody would have questioned his commitment because he was genuinely injured. But limping around in front of the media after taking criticism the day before just looks like a performance.

“It leaves a bad impression, and I have no sympathy for that behaviour. If you don't have the heart or bravery for international cricket, you shouldn't be playing Test matches. Test cricket isn't just a test of your skills - it's a test of your character.”

Playing under threat, living with uncertainty

Strip away the drama at board level and the players are left to deal with a familiar Pakistani reality: instability as a constant.

“To be honest, in Pakistan, players are used to this environment from domestic, U16, and U19 cricket,” Atiq said. “We are raised in a tough system where you rarely get total freedom or backing, and you always feel like you are playing under threat just to survive.”

His message to the dressing room before Edgbaston was simple, almost old-fashioned.

“Enjoy your cricket, believe in your skill set, do what you can with bat and ball, and leave the rest to God.”

They will need that mindset. A team reeling from a series defeat, stripped of coaches mid-tour, with new voices in the dressing room and selection calls under public attack, now has to walk into Edgbaston and find a response.

Talent without a structure

Atiq’s criticism did not stop at selection or individual bravery. His gaze turned upwards, towards the PCB and the way the game is run in Pakistan.

At present, he works as a scout for England women, Lions and Young Lions, and coaches the Germany men’s team. From that vantage point, he sees a familiar pattern back home: gifted cricketers, flimsy structures.

"Hopefully, the PCB chairman changes his approach and brings in someone with genuine expertise and leadership experience to drive real structural change. If you surround the team with quality, professional individuals, they will instill high standards. The talent in Pakistan is undeniably there, but without the right resources and supportive structure, these players cannot reach the next level."

The third Test at Edgbaston will not fix all that. It cannot. But it will show something just as important: in the middle of turmoil, how much fight does this Pakistan side have left?