KARACHI: Former and current cricketers, administrators and experts opine that Pakistan cricket needs to rebuild its grassroots and domestic infrastructure to raise the standard of the national team at the international level. Jio News’ Special Panel Discussion, Cricket Ka MukhatmaSunday.
Former captain Mohammad Hafeez, batting great Younis Khan, Test captain Shan Masood, PCB official Aqib Javed, former PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood, former chief selector Haroon Rashid, Fawad Alam and Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Umar discussed the challenges, shortcomings and future direction of Pakistan cricket.
The panel focused on the status of domestic cricket, proposed reforms and measures needed to restore Pakistan’s competitiveness in all formats.
Former PCB president Khalid Mahmood stressed the importance of school and college cricket, insisting that strengthening the foundation of the game is necessary to improve standards.
He observed that modern players are more focused on making more money in a shorter period of time, compared to the previous generation of fast bowlers, who consistently showed greater stamina for 30 to 35 overs in an innings.
Former Chief Selector Haroon Rashid asserted that grassroots cricket has been neglected and that Pakistan cannot improve without strengthening sectoral cricket. He also called for significant investment in cricket infrastructure, particularly in the quality of pitches across the country.
Younis Khan urged Pakistan to strike the right balance between red-ball and white-ball cricket, recalling a time when the country’s domestic set-up was one of the strongest in the world and Pakistan was consistently ranked among the top five teams in all formats.
He cautioned against blindly copying the policies of other cricketing nations, saying Pakistan had strayed from its own cricketing identity, while noting that every player now wanted to compete in all three formats.
Former Test batsman Fawad Alam insisted that selection should be based on performance alone and an end to favoritism in Pakistan cricket.
He argued that players who establish themselves in Test cricket should be capable of succeeding in one-day international and T20 cricket, while questioning whether Pakistan has not produced any great cricketers since departmental cricket was discontinued in 2006.
Fawad criticized the disparity in players’ payments, saying T20 fees continued to rise while first-class cricket was neglected. He urged the selectors to judge the players according to their performance conditions and suggested that the selectors should attend first-class matches regularly.
Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar said if Pakistan hopes to revive the fortunes of the national team, it must restore its previous domestic cricket structure.
Former captain Mohammad Hafeez echoed similar sentiments, saying that if Pakistan’s red-ball foundation becomes stronger, the country’s cricket as a whole will be stronger.
Test captain Shaun Masood described Test cricket as the pinnacle of the game and reiterated the importance of building a strong red-ball culture.
PCB official Akib Javed said the fast bowlers will emerge in the next four to five months as part of the board’s ongoing plans.
Haroon Rashid reiterated that meaningful progress can only come through greater focus on club and domestic cricket, adding that Pakistan needs a strong grassroots structure to ensure sustained success.
Recalling his time as a selector, Rashid recalled facing criticism when he picked Younis Khan for Pakistan’s under-19 squad, alleging that the decision was influenced by some suggestions.
Younis highlighted the importance of role models in developing young cricketers and noted that domestic pitches in the 1980s and 1990s were not ideal. Despite those conditions, Pakistan still managed to produce world-class fast bowlers.
He pointed out that many young players now prefer T20 cricket, but maintaining a healthy balance between formats is essential for the long-term success of Pakistan cricket.
Masood underlined the importance of a strong bowling attack, noting that teams need to take 20 wickets to win a Test match.
He stressed the need to develop more high-quality fast bowlers and said the fitness regimen of players has improved in recent years. However, he expressed concern that Pakistan’s bowlers often lose their edge on the third and fourth days of Test matches, while highlighting the team’s continued problem of conceding valuable runs to the opposition bowlers.