Bangladesh series loss is a low point in Pakistan’s cricket history, says Imran Khan
Former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan on Thursday joined the chorus of angry fans and ex-cricketers over the national team’s ODI whitewash in Bangladesh, terming the 0-3 loss as a “low point in Pakistan cricket history”.
Imran, speaking on a local television channel, said a culture of nepotism, favouritism and bypassing of merit had resulted in Pakistan cricket hitting a new low.
“What do we expect from a weak cricket structure where we have a mismanaged domestic structure. This series loss is a low point in our cricket history,” he said.
The whitewash in Bangladesh has seen Pakistan slip to eighth position in the International Cricket Council rankings just above Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
62-year-old, who led Pakistan to their only World Cup triumph in 1992, said the problems in Pakistan cricket had to be addressed at the management level first.
“Pakistan cricket will not improve as long as there are people in the cricket board who have come through nepotism and without any merit. Sadly the people in our cricket board don’t have any knowledge of cricket,” he said.
“We have so much talent but a poor and weak cricket system does not allow this talent to be realised.”
Imran feels Pakistan has a lot of talent cricketers.
“Other greats have identified Pakistan as having the best talents, so where are we going wrong?,” Imran asked.
He said the domestic cricket needed to be overhauled so that talent is identified at an early stage and groomed properly.
Pointing figure at a weak domestic system, Imran said Pakistan’s best batsman at present, Misbah-ul-Haq only established himself in the national team at the age of 34 while Saeed Ajmal also came in late.
Imran said it was time Pakistan adopted the blueprint being followed in Australian cricket and lift the quality of its domestic cricket competition.
“Australia has won the World Cup the most times by any country and since I have played in their domestic competition I know it is because they have the best and most competitive domestic structure.
“It’s due to sub-standard teams in the domestic cricket that the talent in Pakistan does not get polished,” he insisted.
