Pakistan Cricket Under Fire
Pakistan's Muhammad Amir criticized teammates for shopping casually after a loss to USA, saying they disrespected cricket's dignity. Meanwhile, calls are growing to reinstate spinner Abrar Ahmed after his dropping from the squad.
- The loss to the USA occurred during the group stage of the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup and was decided by a Super Over after both teams tied with 159 runs. This upset was labeled a "black day" in Pakistan cricket history by former players and commentators. - Muhammad Amir, who criticized the team's focus, was himself banned for five years and served jail time for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal. - The defeat to the tournament co-hosts USA was a historic upset, as Pakistan had reached the semi-final stage in six of the previous eight T20 World Cups, including being runners-up in the 2022 tournament. - Calls to include spinner Abrar Ahmed followed his exclusion from the playing XI in all of Pakistan's T20 World Cup matches, despite the team's struggles. - Former captain Shoaib Malik suggested that Abrar Ahmed might have been selected to play if he had a stronger social media presence and following. - Following losses to the USA and India, reports have emerged that Pakistan's Army Chief, Asim Munir, is unhappy with the team's performance, leading to speculation about major changes and potential political interference in the cricket board's affairs. - This is not the only recent controversy for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB); during the 2025 Asia Cup, it faced corruption allegations from former player Atiq-uz-Zaman over the poor quality of the team's jerseys.
