Off Stumps

I started watching cricket back in 2007, and by 2009–10, I had started understanding the game.

I danced with joy in 2009. I cried in 2010. After the 2011 semi-final defeat, I said I would never follow cricket again.

Obviously, I came back. 😂

I cursed Rahat Ali for years after that drop in 2015. I witnessed Pakistan go 3/3 in CT13. I watched India thrash us in World Cups. I saw the Spot Fixing scandal in 2010. I lived through the heartbreaks of 2021 and 2022.

But through all of it, there was always hope.

Even after losing a series to Bangladesh in 2015 for the first time, I still believed better days would come. Because back then, despite all the problems, there were people running Pakistan cricket who at least understood the game.

Today, I don't see that anymore.

Mohsin Naqvi said after the 2024 World Cup that there would be a “surgery.”

I guess the surgery is finally complete.

Unfortunately, it seems like the patient came out even worse.

Our coaches are now happy because we beat Afghanistan, UAE, Canada, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Our selectors are telling the media that they would be more than happy if Pakistan manages to win a Test against West Indies or England's second- and third-worst WTC sides.

And honestly, the saddest part is that Pakistan itself has become the first among them.

Pakistan cricket has reached a point where mediocrity is being celebrated.

For almost 20 years, I kept coming back because there was always a belief that things would eventually get better.

Today, that belief is gone.

This isn't just about losing matches anymore. It's about losing the identity of Pakistan cricket.

And I genuinely believe Pakistan cricket has not only lost its way—it is slowly losing its fanbase too.

I've supported this team through everything.

But for the first time since 2007, I have no hope left.

Pakistan cricket is doomed if the same people continue running it.

And right now, I honestly don't see any light at the end of this tunnel. 💔🇵🇰

-AA

Rizwan The Superman ❤️

first ball p single ly k tailender ko expose kr diya 💔

zero game awareness sarrr 😭

LOML 💝

Frame 🐐

"محمد ﷺ اللہ کے رسول ہیں، اور جو لوگ ان کے ساتھ ہیں وہ کافروں کے مقابلے میں سخت اور آپس میں ایک دوسرے کے لیے نہایت رحم دل ہیں۔ تم انہیں رکوع اور سجدے کی حالت میں دیکھو گے، وہ اللہ کا فضل اور اس کی رضا تلاش کرتے ہیں۔ "

القرآن الکریم 💝

Getting ready for 2nd Test match 👑

Believe me or not but Babar Azam has been carrying the burden of criticism for the entire management and team for years now ❤️

Everyone will realize this soon Insha'ALLAH ❤️

Aqib Javed has been in the PCB setup for almost two years now, and I genuinely cannot understand how he has survived this long despite the continued decline in Pakistan cricket.

There was a time when selectors, coaches, and even captains were held accountable and removed after one or two poor tournaments. Yet somehow, Aqib Javed continues to remain in the system despite one disappointing result after another.

He introduced the idea of preparing spinning tracks in Pakistan's Test cricket. We defeated England using that strategy, largely because they came unprepared for those conditions. But when we tried to replicate the same formula in subsequent series, opposition teams came prepared. The result? Pakistan suffered a historic defeat against the West Indies after 35 years, followed by a humiliating loss to South Africa later that year.

Champions Trophy 2025, hosted in Pakistan. After waiting so long to host a major ICC tournament at home, we were eliminated within just three days due to poor selection.

In the Asia Cup, we lost to India three times in the same tournament, yet somehow nobody was held accountable.

Then came the T20 World Cup, where Pakistan failed to win a single match against a genuinely quality side, failed to reach the semi-finals, and once again, there was barely any serious accountability for the coaching, selection, or overall cricketing strategy.

What I find even more concerning is how someone with Aqib Javed's history of public comments about Pakistani players can be expected to deal with those same players fairly and objectively.

He has previously made remarks about Saud Shakeel, saying that he could not hit sixes because he had "small legs and shoulders." He also claimed that when he was part of the Lahore Qalandars management, he would tell his bowlers not to dismiss Babar Azam because they would eventually win the match if he's at the crease.

How can someone who has made such questionable and disparaging remarks about national players be expected to make impartial decisions about their careers, selection, and development?

Pakistan cricket does not need personalities to be protected regardless of their results. It needs accountability, professionalism, and people who genuinely put the team's interests above their personal egos and preferences.

In my opinion, Aqib Javed's continued presence in the PCB setup is one of the biggest questions that needs to be addressed. Pakistan cricket desperately needs a change in direction, and that change needs to start with accountability.

My favorite fb pages

Babar Azam
الشيخ ياسر الدوسري

drop yours?