Pakistan’s struggle against top-tier teams exposes their fundamental weaknesses | Sports

#Pakistans #struggle #toptier #teams #exposes #fundamental #weaknesses #Sports

Eight years have passed since the last time Pakistan cricket had tasted the global tasting globally. The victory of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in Andkar, where Fakhr Zaman’s excellent century and Mohammad Amir’s magical magic destroyed India by 180 runs, is the last time when Pakistan stood on the world cricket against opposition to the elite.

Since then there has been a disturbing model that exposes the uncomfortable facts about the current state of Pakistani cricket: repeated failures to face the elite of cricket as well as a constant success against lower -level teams. This disparity not only reveals strategic shortcomings, but also basic structural issues that have prevented Pakistan from competing at a high level.

Success against the weak.

Since 2017, the Pakistan Trophy Cabinet tells an integration story. The victories have arrived, but almost Exclusive against the weak or lower -level opposition to:

Zimbabwe Treau Nation T20 Series in 2018: Pakistan defeated Australia in the final, but as the third team with Zimbabwe, the tournament lacked competitive depth.

Bilateral domination in the house: Numerous White Wash against other string West Indies Sides (2018, 2021), comfortable victories on Zimbabwe in Harare (2021), and normal achievements against Ireland and the Netherlands created power.

2022: New Zealand Tree Nation Series: While defeating New Zealand in the final, provided some legal status, the presence of Bangladesh reduced the tournament’s competitive price.

2025 Asia Cup: The Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai on September 28, Pakistan’s credibility against the Elite Opposition gave another catastrophic shock. In a match, which misrepresented everything with Pakistan’s high pressure cricket point, the green male lost 146 out of the 107-1 commanding position, losing nine wickets for just 39 off 44 balls. Although won but fought against Bangladesh, Afanistan, Sri Lanka.

These achievements, while providing temporarily boosters and ranking locations of morale, are clearly reflected against deep inadequate opposition to the masks.

Catalog of failures:

The record is harmful. A string of matches in formats and tournaments shows a repeated sample where Pakistan’s bowlers let commanding positions end:

The T20 World Cup 2021 semi -final Westeria: 9 runs need 9, a struggling Matthew Wade launches Horse Rauf for back -to -back scuses, and turned the game to his head. Pakistan’s campaign ended with a heartbreak. With the impressive performance of the group stage against the lower -level teams, Pakistan fell short against Australia when it makes the most difference.

The Asia Cup 2022 Final vs Sri Lanka: 58/5, Sri Lanka was buried. Nevertheless, the bowlers of Pakistan allowed them to post 170+, which proved to be decisive tomorrow.

T20 World Cup 2022 vs. India: Shaheen needed 41 runs as needed 41 runs while Shaheen left the field. Earlier, Harris Rauf accepted his speed with Virat Kohli, who was out of more than one form, in which the unforgettable six were not straight. While his appearance against England ended with defeat, and continued Pakistan’s promising campaign style that gets caught in important moments.

Asia Cup 2023 (Virtual Quarter Final vs Sri Lanka): Pakistan failed to defend 253 in just 43 overs, allowing Lanka’s batting lineup to be hidden.

World Cup 2023: 345, 282 against Chennai Turner against Sri Lanka, and 270+ South Africa – historically the weakest chase. Against New Zealand, they allowed a struggling batting unit to recover from 70/3 to 400 piles. Only Rizwan, Abdullah Shafiq, and Fakir Zaman saved Pakistan from complete humiliation.

2025 Champions Trophy (Home): Perhaps the most harmful person came to domestic soil, where New Zealand suffered heavy defeats, including huge losses at the opener of the Pakistan Tournament.

Recent Visit to Elite Nations: New Zealand’s tour of 2025 (another sting) exemplifies Pakistan’s struggle against top teams-New Zealand defeated the one-day series 3-0 and defeated the T20 series 4-1, and emphasized that when Packistan is against Pukistan.

Associate and Emerging Countries: Perhaps the most worrying is a failure against the non -elite. Harsh and Shaheen could not defend 160+ against Ireland, 160+ against the United States (including 12 runs in 3 balls), and recently in another T20 clash against India 172.

The Champions Trophy, Asia Cup, and across the World Cup, the sample remained permanent: When the pressure is at its peak, with Pakistan’s batting as well as bowling, there are matters – once it is proud.

Asia Cup 2025: Recent example of failure. Bangladesh Wake Up Call

Just before the Asia Cup, perhaps nothing clearly makes Pakistan more clear than its recent struggle against Bangladesh – historically considered inferior opposition. The victory of Bangladesh’s historic Test in Rawalpindi in August 2024 marked its first Test victory against Pakistan, indicating that Pakistan could no longer dominate the teams, which once defeated them as usual.

In 2025, the subsequent competitive series between the two countries, Bangladesh, has represented the earthquake in South Asian cricket dynamics, winning the series in some forms. What was ever an automatic victory for Pakistan has become a real competition, highlighting how other nations have made progress while Pakistan has stagnant.

Pakistan’s repeated failure of the elite teams against the high stakes suggests deep root mental illness. When there is a standard of opposition under pressure, the team is permanently performing less than its potential, whether in the ICC tournament or in the trips against advanced countries.

This mental weakness shows in many ways: falling into important moments of important matches, failing to handle the pressure against quality bowling, poor decision -making in the climate conditions, contradictory performances from match to match.

Heritagement: Although Pakistan can overwhelm weak teams through individual talent, their tactical approach is often reduced against the parties of the well -created, well -developed elite. In adoption of the game plans, disqualification has cost a lot against teams like England, Australia, and New Zealand and now India.

Preparation and Planning deficit: In contrast to the high teams, Pakistan’s performance advises insufficient preparation for variations. Although they can create favorable conditions at home, their record against elite teams reveals their record poor adaptation and planning.

The benefit of the house: Even Pakistan’s home record against high teams has deteriorated significantly. The destruction of the 2025 Champions Trophy on domestic soil broke the myths that Pakistan was strong in familiar conditions. When well -prepared elite teams face, even domestic advantage cannot masked basic shortages.

The Home Series against Australia (2022), England (2022-23), and New Zealand (2023) saw that Pakistan failed to take advantage of the favorable conditions, and often allowing winning positions through poor implementation at significant moments.

Women’s team: Pakistan’s women’s cricket team shows even more clear version of this style. By winning the bilateral series against Ireland, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, they have permanently diminished against the dominant forces of women’s cricket – Australia, England and India.

The women’s team has never won the World ICC Trophy, in which their struggle against the Elite Opposition is even more clear than their male counterparts. This indicates the approach issues of the development of Pakistan cricket teams that are capable of challenging the best in the world.

Successful style against weak teams and the failure against opposition to the elite have created a number of developmental issues.

Invalid confidence: Players develop a flurry evaluation of their abilities on the basis of success against inferior competition, so that they are not ready to step into the standard against elite teams.

Without regularly exposing high quality opposition, players and coaches do not develop the strategy needed for the world’s best competition.

Performance against elite teams.

Asia Cup bitter: This latest failure was not just a bad day in the office.

The way forward

Realistic expectations: Pakistan cricket stakeholders have to acknowledge that the current team is not included in the world’s elite and adjusts expectations accordingly while working for systematic improvement.

Long -term development attention: Instead of looking for quick reforms, Pakistan will have to commit long -term development programs that are designed to prepare players to compete in the world.

Professional Management: The cricket board needs a professional management structure that prefers more performance development than political concerns.

Uncomfortable Fact: Failure against Pakistan Cricket and Elite Opposition for success against low -level teams represents more than faulty shape. The victory of the 2017 Champions Trophy, while the memorable, appears as rapidly irregularities rather than proof of permanent capacity.