Pakistan cricket team is in shambles. The Men in Green couldn’t reach the 2023 ODI World Cup semifinals, in India, got whitewashed in the three Tests versus hosts Australia, lost five T20Is to New Zealand 4-1 in New Zealand, lost to USA in the 2024 T20 World Cup and failed to make it to the Super 8s. After that, they also got whitewashed to Bangladesh in a two-match Test series at home. They have not won a Test at home since early 2022.

Thus, former Pakistan cricketer Zaheer Abbas opined on the men’s national team’s downfall in recent times, especially in Tests. He slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and also made a big claim about the players.

Abbas was quoted as saying by the ANI, “There’s too much T20 cricket being played in Pakistan, and because of that, our players have forgotten the essence of Test cricket. This is why we’re not performing well in the longer format. So much money has come into cricket that the players today are only focused on making money, and their attention is diverted from the game itself.”

He added, “It is the misfortune of Pakistan cricket that those who run it do not understand cricket. We took Pakistan cricket to great heights. The world admired our cricket. But today, those in charge are only concerned with their own interests, not with cricket or the players.”

Recently, Babar Azam stepped down as the white-ball captain. While he was only appointed as the T20I captain, PCB was reportedly keen to reappoint him as the limited-overs skipper before his sudden resignation came on Wednesday (Oct 2). 

At present, the Shan Masood-led Pakistan team is gearing up for their three-match Test series versus England at home, starting on Oct 7.