Pakistan cricket just died a thousand deaths

Gone are the days when Pakistan cricket was a genuine threat. Fast forward to the present, the real threat seems to be to themselves, as their decline in the sport is a spectacularly unrelenting nosedive.

Their recent loss to Bangladesh on home soil isn't just a story of a team that has hit rock bottom in terms of quality; it is also a display of their complete absence of strategic insight.

While there haven't been any sudden changes in the squad over the past few years, a sense of incompetence and aimlessness seems to have enveloped Babar Azam and Co.

‘Pakistan cricket at its best: One minute down, next minute up'. Nasser Hussain's portrayal of Pakistan cricket not too long ago was a fitting encapsulation of their fortunes and on-field performance. Yet, it was also a convenient oversimplification of their erratic nature, glossing over the systemic issues that prevent consistency.

The very notion of Pakistan cricket being mercurial might captivate loyalists with its unpredictability, but it masks the deeper flaws that hinder their stability. The excitement of a mercurial team may keep fans engaged, but it begs the question: what happens when the team falters? What happens when players like Babar or Mohammed Rizwan experience simultaneous slumps in form? And how does one navigate the transition from a volatile team to one characterised by lackluster performance?

This transition is precisely what is unfolding with the Men in Green at present. The team has failed to secure victory in their last four home Test series and has been unceremoniously eliminated at the group stage in the last two World Cups (both ODI and T20).

Amid the cacophony of speculation, accusations, and conspiracy theories, the root issues can be distilled into fundamental aspects that any successful team must address. They are interconnected and have been exacerbated by recent developments.

The problem began with the arrival of the Australian team in Pakistan nearly two years ago, marking the start of an era of flat pitches that have been flatter than the Indo-Gangetic basin.

Australian batsmen exploited these lifeless surfaces, while England, in particular, took full advantage.

Pakistan's pace attack has been particularly hard-hit by these conditions. Imagine having to toil through numerous overs in less than ten sessions of play. Such exhaustive workloads have taken a toll on key pacers like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

The problem, however, extends beyond just the flat pitches. These tracks represent a deeper rot within Pakistan red-ball cricket.

Historically, their home advantage was built on creating dry, lifeless pitches conducive to reverse swing, which allowed their pace bowlers to dismantle the opposition. Shoaib Akhtar's strike on Indian batsmen on flat pitches is too good to be forgotten. However, of late, Pakistan has failed to capitalise on this strength, with their pace attack consistently outperformed by overseas bowlers.

Moreover, their struggles are compounded by the absence of a potent spinner. After the retirement of Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Shah, the team has struggled to find a spinner capable of taking wickets through guile rather than relying solely on pitch conditions.

The lack of resilience from the top order has been glaring. Shan Masood, who has the potential to excel on such tracks, has been inconsistent and vulnerable to disciplined pace attacks. Babar, usually a reliable performer, is enduring a significant dip in form. The prospect of another captaincy change looms large if the team continues to underperform, with Masood potentially being the next ‘scapegoat'.

A nation already in chaos and a sport desperately in need of reform might not seem like an ideal mix, but Pakistan could certainly take a few notes from neighbours India on how to develop players without confusing management fads with genuine coaching standards.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's personal views, and do not represent the views of Mid-Day.