Photo Credit: Instagram Photos of @wasimakramliveofficial, @iamshoaibakhtar
Pakistan’s campaign in the 2025 Champions Trophy has been nothing short of disastrous, leaving them on the brink of a group-stage exit for the third consecutive ICC ODI tournament. Despite officially still being in contention, back-to-back defeats—most recently against India—have all but sealed their elimination.
This collapse has sparked outrage from cricket legends Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, who have launched scathing attacks on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the selection committee.
Expressing his frustration on Sports Central after Pakistan’s loss to India in Dubai, Akram emphasized that fans have had enough of unfulfilled promises. He called for sweeping changes, urging PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to hold the selection committee accountable for the squad choices and to start preparing a fresh team for the 2026 T20 World Cup immediately.
“We need drastic steps. Enough is enough! We have been losing with the same players for years now in white-ball cricket. It’s time to take a bold step and bring in young players who play fearless cricket. If you want to make big changes, go for it. Give the new players six months, back them, and start preparing for the 2026 T20 World Cup. We have had enough,” Akram said.
Highlighting Pakistan’s poor bowling performances, he revealed a shocking statistic: “Pakistan bowlers took 24 wickets in the last five games but at an average of 60. The shocking statistic is that Pakistan’s bowling average is the second worst among 14 teams, which includes Oman and the USA, that played ODI cricket this year.”
Akram further criticized the team selection, questioning the inclusion of players like Khusdil Shah and Salman Agha. He blamed the rushed squad announcement, claiming that despite last-minute discussions, the selection committee made no meaningful changes.
“The Chairman should return home, call the captain, coach, and the selection committee, and ask the latter what kind of selection they made. Did it look like Khusdil Shah and Salman Agha could have dismissed any Indian batter? We are screaming here, saying the squad is not okay. The Chairman told them to announce the squad with a day left. They had a meeting for an hour and walked out with the same team,” he added.
Akram also took aim at Mohammad Rizwan’s captaincy, suggesting he lacked awareness of the team’s key match-winners. He pointed out the lackluster body language of Pakistani players during India’s chase of 242, noting an alarming sight he had never witnessed before.
“The captain is the leader of the ship. How will the team succeed if he doesn’t know which match-winners he needs? Pakistani players looked completely out of the game when India reached the 15th or 18th over in their chase. Fans leaving early is something I have never seen before. This is unfortunate,” Akram remarked.
Shoaib Akhtar echoed Akram’s sentiments, delivering a blistering critique of Pakistan’s management and team selection. In an emotional video posted on his X account, he labeled the leadership as ‘brainless and clueless,’ arguing that the players entered the tournament without any clear direction.
“I am not disappointed at all (by the defeat to India) because I knew what would happen. You can’t select five bowlers, the whole world is playing six bowlers… you go with two all-rounders but this is just brainless and clueless management. I am really disappointed,” Akhtar said.
He further argued that Pakistan’s players lacked the skill level of India’s top stars, such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill, and blamed the management for failing to guide them properly.
“We can’t blame the kids (Pakistan players); the players are just as the team management is! They don’t know what to do. The intent is a different thing, they don’t have the skill sets like Rohit, Virat, and Shubman. Neither they know anything, nor the management. They have just gone to play without any clear direction. No one knows what they should do,” Akhtar added.
With Pakistan’s campaign all but over, calls for structural change within the PCB are growing louder. Akram and Akhtar’s stinging criticism underscores the deep-seated issues plaguing the team, and unless drastic reforms are made, Pakistan’s struggles in international cricket may continue.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
