Former Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has lashed out at the national cricket team’s outdated playing style following their disappointing performance in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy. As hosts, Pakistan finished last in Group A after a winless campaign, suffering heavy defeats to finalists New Zealand and eventual champions India. Their only point came from a washed-out match against Bangladesh, but they still finished below Bangladesh due to an inferior net run rate.
Imad, who retired from international cricket, expressed his frustration in a video clip shared by an X user, admitting that he often feels reluctant to watch Pakistan play. “So you got to play cricket. Cricket, like it should be played. This is not the right way for me, if you ask me as a cricketer — not even as a Pakistani, just as a cricketer. I watch some of the games the Pakistan team play, and I feel I just don’t want to watch it, but I have to watch it. Eventually, people will lose interest, and they won’t come to watch cricket if we keep playing like this,” he said.
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The former all-rounder criticised Pakistan’s cautious and outdated approach, pointing out that modern cricket requires a more aggressive and proactive mindset. He argued that teams like England and Australia have set a new standard that Pakistan has failed to follow.
“So you see England, Australia — or cricket I can understand — the solution I’m telling you I can understand. Your first instinct should be to go out there and attack the opposition. And if you lose wickets, then you assess the conditions — okay, this is a 250, 260, 300 wicket — whatever. But your first instinct should just be to go out there and attack, not to think, ‘Let’s score 250.’ We are way behind where the world is,” Imad said.
Reflecting on his earlier warnings that were ignored, Imad revealed that his calls for change were often met with ridicule. “Well, I’ve been saying this for years, and people were laughing at me. Firstly, when I started saying these things, even in the team meetings, I used to say these things. The world is going on a different path, and we are playing the same way,” he lamented.
Imad’s harsh critique echoes the sentiments of frustrated fans and cricket experts who believe Pakistan’s reluctance to modernise their style is holding them back on the global stage. Despite being tournament hosts, Pakistan’s performance drew heavy criticism, and many are calling for a complete overhaul of their cricketing approach to keep pace with the evolving demands of international cricket.