Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @rashwin99
Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin voiced his concerns about the instability in Pakistan cricket, expressing sympathy for a once-great cricketing nation now grappling with uncertainty. This follows Babar Azam stepping down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain for the second time in 10 months.
Pakistan cricket is currently facing turmoil, with shocking defeats and frequent leadership changes creating instability within both the board and the team. Babar Azam first relinquished his captaincy in December last year, with Shaheen Afridi taking over the white-ball format. However, Babar was reappointed as captain for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
After a series of personal setbacks, Babar Azam eventually stepped down due to growing public pressure.
Amid this ongoing leadership crisis, Ravichandran Ashwin expressed his concerns over the state of Pakistan cricket.
“I am speaking the truth when I say that the current state of Pakistan cricket and the phase they are going through makes me feel a little sorry. Because some of the most exceptional cricketers have played for Pakistan, and it was such a great team. If you look at it from a cricketer’s perspective, this is a proud cricketing nation. And where are they lacking in skill? They have so many skilled players,” Ashwin said in a video.
Ashwin criticized the frequent captaincy changes, describing it as a “musical chairs” situation that has shifted players’ focus to their individual performance rather than the team’s success. He also highlighted that Pakistan has not won a Test match in nearly three years, leading to instability in the dressing room.
“And sometimes, their whole musical chairs situation is truly something. The music keeps playing, and they just think about grabbing a chair; that’s how it feels. What would I think as a cricketer? Should I focus on my game or on the team? Every cricketer will be so unstable inside the dressing room that he will start thinking about himself and will think less about the team,” he added.
Adding to the chaos, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has yet to pay its contracted players, both men and women, with top players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan awaiting four months of salary. This delay comes after the PCB initiated a review of contracts following Pakistan’s poor performance in ICC events and home Test series.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
