How to improve Pakistan T20 cricket team?

Most of us remember Pakistan’s stellar performances in the new format of cricket (T20) since its inception in 2003. Even after losing the World Cup to India in the inaugural edition in 2007, our cornered Tigers did not give up and won the next one.

However, in the current scenario, they haven’t even been able to come close to their previous achievements in this format, and are clearly lagging behind the rest of the world in the modern approach to the game.

Their failures were evident in 2022 but were overshadowed by their arrival in the T20 World Cup final in Australia. The Netherlands’ miraculous win over South Africa was a fleeting chance for Pakistan to redeem themselves, but they failed to clear the final hurdle.

They had already lost the Asian Cup final and their poor planning was obvious to them, but they didn’t realize it. So why aren’t fans seeing the passion and fight they used to see? Let’s look at some of the key areas for improvement.

Pakistan’s Domestic System

Since then, the fans have had to face embarrassing setbacks in every World Cup, but the management has still failed to find the reasons for their inadequate style of play. The failure of the Pakistani cricket team is closely linked to the failure of the Pakistani domestic system.

The constant changes in the national structure season after season have not allowed the players to develop their game. Moreover, the fact of moving the players to the national team has also done more harm than good, both for the players and the national team.

Management

Apart from this, the board management has changed a lot and the PCB has had four different chairmen in the last three years, which has led to a lack of clear vision and direction.

How can the team build trust when the coaching staff is constantly changing? With every change of president, the selection committee and coaching staff also change.

This uncertainty and instability at the top of the team has trickled down to the players, leading to a lack of confidence and low morale. The long-term strategies of the old management have also been disrupted, leading to uneven performances.

All these changes have brought confusion and inconsistency in the style of play. Coaching styles and personal goals of the players have changed many times due to these changes. Therefore we must ask ourselves: are these management changes more about politics than about improving the team?

Inadequate T20 playing style

Moreover, the intention of Pakistani batsmen needs to be changed to become more aggressive. Pakistani team has not been able to adapt to the new approach unlike other powerhouses in the sport. We can see Pakistani batsmen hesitating to use the power play in a hostile manner. This style of play not only decreases the runs but also gives momentum to the other team.

Batsmen need to focus on capitalising on loose deliveries rather than survival. This factor was also highlighted by Ali Khan, a bowler for the US cricket team, after their stunning win over the Men in Green in the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup.

One has to wonder why the team seems to lack confidence in their ability to play aggressive cricket even against weaker bowling attacks. The lack of intent from the Pakistani batsmen is the biggest obstacle to their success.

Fakhar Zaman is the only batsman in the top order known for his punching, and even he has started appearing at number four in the T20 team. Players need to understand that the lack of punching and intensity makes it too easy for the opposition to dominate the game.

Unit

In 2021, everyone was talking about the unity of the Pakistan team, and now everyone is talking about disunity. At this point, there is a palpable sense of disunity within the team. The players are not on the same page. This disharmony is manifested in the way they play, with visible frustration and poor coordination.

It all started when the different regimes in the PCB started playing musical chairs for the captaincy. The appointment of Shaheen Afridi for just one season before reappointing Babar as captain left a bitter taste in the mouth of the team and the fans.

This captain’s saga has brought political tensions within the team, creating differences between the players. These differences have manifested themselves on the pitch and have been highlighted by many journalists and pundits.

People like Wasim Akram have also spoken about this issue, which shows the seriousness of the situation. All this has led to a breakdown in communication, low morale and tensions within the team. This disunity has hampered effective collaboration, making it difficult to leverage the diverse skills and perspectives of the team members.

Although I wonder, even after addressing and solving all the problems, can the team still reach the pinnacle of success and become the best?

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About the Author: Haroon Khan is a high school student who has been following cricket since childhood and is aiming for a future in cricket.

The opinion piece represents the views of the author and not of the organization as a whole.

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