It’s no secret that the Pakistani cricket team has had a difficult few years, with a series of ups and downs – not least their recent defeat by Australia on home soil. Despite managing to achieve top ranking during the course of the last decade, and notching up a series of other impressive victories, including an ICC tournament, the national team still seems hounded by misfortune. But what exactly is to blame for the team’s uneven performances, and can they manage to pull things together and regain their former momentum?
Troubles at home
It seems obvious, but a team that is forced to practice on an unsuitable pitch will inevitably face problems, and this is an issue that has been faced by Pakistan’s cricketers for several years now. In fact, the poor quality of the country’s pitches even made international news headlines recently during the team’s face-off with Australia, with the Pakistan Cricket Board admitting that the pitch had been prepared poorly on purpose in order to try and minimise the impact of the Australian team.
Besides these questionable tactics on the part of the PCB, the country has also faced problems with the internal cricket system in general. The Pakistan Cricket Board received criticism from former players about unwarranted experiments that have gone wrong, among other issues. The lack of adequate coaches has also been cited as another possible reason for Pakistan’s slump in its cricketing fortunes; after all, knowledgeable coaches are essential for finding, nurturing, and developing upcoming talent.
Despite these struggles on home ground, the Pakistan cricket team has persevered, and while they may not be at the top of their game, they currently hold a very respectable position. There will also be plenty of chances to prove themselves awaiting them later in 2022. If you’d like to keep informed of their latest matches, you can stay abreast of the latest cricketing developments courtesy of https://www.sportsadda.com/tips-and-predictions/betting-sites/sportsbet-review.
A failure to develop
As well as the problems in the domestic sphere, another potential stumbling block for the Pakistan cricket team – at least, according to Hassan Cheema – is a lack of development in the national team’s players. The bowlers, in particular, Cheema explains, start off well, but fail to continue an upward trajectory. While they still make valuable contributions to the team’s successes, their talent is not consistently honed, and they also seem to fade away faster than players from previous generations.
Can Pakistan turn things around in Australia?
In October this year, the Pakistan cricket team will have a golden opportunity to test their mettle as they journey down under for the T20 World Cup. The team’s former head coach, Waqar Younis, has expressed his confidence in the team, explaining that the high quality of the Australian pitches should prove a real asset for the players. He also praised the prowess of the team’s batters, in particular Babar Azam, declaring,
“Babar (Azam) is definitely going to be the key batter at the top of the order. I think he will have the impact that he has always had and then of course Rizwan is playing very well and the bowling attack they have got is one of the best in the world”.
It remains to be seen how the rest of 2022 will pan out for Pakistan’s cricket team, but Waqar Younis certainly has faith that they can turn things around.