In sports, it is widely said, and equally believed, that class, rather than form, separates the good from the better. One’s form says little about where they end up in the future. But bad form is sometimes known to erode class itself, especially if it persists long enough. That’s mostly because a talent is perceived as such, only as long as it continues feeding that notion. No one is entitled to stay at the top forever, less so with a dwindling form. Precisely that is what Pakistan cricket seems to be on its way to finding out.
There has not been a time in living memory when cricket in the country has taken a hit so brutal across formats. Pakistan’s worries aren’t solely about match results; they haven’t exactly been unbeaten for long stretches anyway. But when paired with the knowledge that the rot within the system isn’t subsiding unless conscious efforts are made – a sort never seen before – prospects become rather bleak. Unless that happens, there is no stability. Not for players. Not for support staff. And absolutely not for administrators pretending to have it all under control.
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And at a time when plenty is changing, as cricket, as a sport, realizes it needs more to sustain itself, this doesn’t bode well in Pakistan’s favour. For instance, the 2028 LA Olympics is going to be a significant stepping stone for cricket. Naturally, all teams will want to experience this epochal upgrade firsthand. But qualification to play at the Olympics solely based on a team’s reputation in the streets is nowhere near likely to happen. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet to officiate the qualification journey for the Olympics, but a model where one team is selected from each continent is most likely to be accepted. If that happens, Pakistan, ranked No. 8 in the ICC T20I Team Rankings and with two Asian teams ahead of them, would most definitely not get a ticket to be a part of the tournament.
Obviously, that would mean no political tension-powered game between India and Pakistan to grab maximum eyeballs, but that rivalry will lose its edge if one side is continuously underperforming.
It’s also about time that Pakistan’s form began to hurt their bilateral games. ICC is already pondering over dividing Test-playing nations into tiers, which, if it were to happen, could see Pakistan land in the second tier, limiting their opportunity to play red-ball games against the big guns of the format. They already do not play India in Tests, or any format for that matter. But this would further take away the luxury of playing lucrative opponents like England and Australia, and more if Pakistan’s form continued to go south.
There are moments when Pakistan’s situation doesn’t seem all gloomy. But those are very few instances sandwiched between longer, more ominous stretches. There is no use pretending the side isn’t in desperate need of repair work. With Mike Hesson’s arrival and a faint semblance of continuity, there is still hope for a better time. But whether that better time is also an illusion wherein sporadic heroic moments are given more puff than wins resulting from a functioning system is a question only time will answer. For now, though, the team can only hope all stays well.
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