Gloom and demands for wholesale changes have engulfed cricket-crazy Pakistan after the hosts crashed out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage, barely a week into celebrating the return of a major tournament.
The titleholders lost their opening game to New Zealand by 60 runs in Karachi on Wednesday, before Sunday’s six-wicket defeat to archrivals India pushed them to the brink of an early exit.
Pakistan needed Bangladesh to beat New Zealand on Monday to keep their slim hopes of a place in the semifinals alive, but the result went the other way.
Thursday’s game with Bangladesh in Rawalpindi has been reduced to a dead-rubber match.
“We have been backing these players for the last few years, but they are not learning nor improving,” former captain Wasim Akram told the AFP news agency.
“It is time for a major shake-up. We need to improve our system of domestic cricket so that we can produce quality cricketers, not ordinary ones.”
A lack of competitiveness in domestic cricket and low-quality pitches have been blamed for not preparing players for the international stage.
The sport in Pakistan is also held back by frequent changes to the cricket board, coaching teams and selection panels, critics say.
Such changes are driven by politics and not merit, according to observers.
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