Pakistan has secured only 7 victories out of the 25 matches they have played this year. Aaqib Javed, one of the selectors for Pakistan’s cricket team, shared that current Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir inquired about the current state of cricket in the country.
The past 12 months have been challenging for Pakistan marked by a revolving door of captains, coaches, chiefs, and selectors. They faced elimination from the T20 World Cup 2024 at the hands of the USA in June, and just last month Bangladesh triumphed over them 2-0 in Test cricket.
Aaqib who played 185 matches for Pakistan and is regarded as one of their most successful ODI bowlers, recounted how Gambhir approached him during India’s tour of Sri Lanka.
He noted that Gambhir was perplexed by the situation in Pakistan cricket despite the nation’s abundant talent. “Gambhir asked me what has happened to Pakistan cricket despite so much talent and everything; what is happening?” the current PCB selector stated on a podcast.
“He (Gambhir) also feels sorry about it, because there are a few (top-level) teams, and the Pakistan vs India matches provide the biggest thrill. So if your team (Pakistan) falls like that, then one of the game’s biggest matches loses its charm.”
Aqib Javed remarked, “Gautam Gambhir met me during the India vs Sri Lanka series last month and asked me, ‘Aqib Bhai, what happened to Pakistan cricket? We see there’s so much talent in Pakistan, what have they done to the team?'”
Gambhir expressed his regret regarding the state of Pakistan cricket highlighting that only a few top teams remain in the sport and that matches between India and Pakistan continue to deliver the greatest excitement in world cricket. However due to the decline of Pakistan cricket, the intensity of this rivalry has diminished.
