In a scathing attack on social media, Najam Sethi, former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), blamed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan for the national team's downfall, which included the embarrassing group-stage exit in the Champions Trophy. The host nation and the defending champions incurred a humiliating fate after losing their opening two Group A matches last week.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sethi, who served as PCB chief between December 2022 and June 2023, failed to wrap his head around the fact Pakistan, a former world champion in both ODI and T20 formats, is now being compared with Zimbabwe.
“The nation is justifiably angry. The cricket fraternity says Pakistan has hit rock bottom. How come a cricket team that was once no 1 in T20s (2018) and Tests (2016) and ODIs (1990 and 1996), which won the WC in 1992 and CT in 2017, is today equated with Zimbabwe?”
Sethi reckoned the downslide started in 2019 when a new PCB management was brought in, headed by Ehsan Mani, under then Prime Minister Imran. Besides a change in the age-old domestic cricket structure, political interference and contradictory policies played a large part in Pakistan cricket going haywire.
"The downfall started in 2019 when a new management under a new PM/Patron changed the domestic cricket structure that had served Pakistan reasonably well for decades and replaced it with an ill-suited Australian hybrid model. Political interference continued; contradictory PCB policies became the norm— foreign coaches were hired and sent packing, selectors were whimsically nominated, old discards were recruited to mentor and manage. Finally, player power, clash of captain egos and groupings in the team came to prevail over fumbling management! The horrible result is before us," he added.
{{/usCountry}}"The downfall started in 2019 when a new management under a new PM/Patron changed the domestic cricket structure that had served Pakistan reasonably well for decades and replaced it with an ill-suited Australian hybrid model. Political interference continued; contradictory PCB policies became the norm— foreign coaches were hired and sent packing, selectors were whimsically nominated, old discards were recruited to mentor and manage. Finally, player power, clash of captain egos and groupings in the team came to prevail over fumbling management! The horrible result is before us," he added.
{{/usCountry}}Can Pakistan bounce back?
Sethi certainly believes. He further wrote: "We can certainly restore our cricket fortunes if we recognise the nature of the problems and marshal the integrity, experience, knowledge and professionalism required to do the job."
Sethi, who served thrice as the PCB chairman, had ended his second term in 2019 after Imran was elected Prime Minister. He was replaced by Mani, a former ICC president, and together, they ended the old system of 16-18 departmental and regional association sides competing in domestic cricket events. A six-team first-class structure was introduced. Later, after Mani stepped down from the role after rejecting a contract extension, Ramiz Raja replaced him in 2021. His tenure lasted until December 2022, following the fall of the Imran Khan government. Sethi returned for his third term thereafter.