NEW DELHI: Pakistan cricket has been going through tough times after its poor performances across formats over the last couple of years. Things have gone downhill for the Pakistan team since the ODI World Cup 2023, where they lost to Afghanistan and were eventually knocked out of the league stage. It just turned worse for them in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, where they lost to a non-Test-playing nation—the USA—and failed to qualify for the Super 8 stage. Meanwhile, the loss to Bangladesh in the Test series was almost a final nail in the coffin for Pakistan cricket, as the PCB chairman has also suggested that there will be big changes in the leadership in the coming months.

According to reports, Babar Azam might get sacked as white-ball captain once again in the coming days, while Shan Masood’s Test team’s captaincy is also under scrutiny.

However, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria feels that it’s high time Pakistan stuck with one captain, as they have already made several changes in the leadership group recently.

“Everything is taken for granted; that’s why the downfall of Pakistan cricket has gone through making captains, changing captain. That will not work. Stick to your captain stick with him,” Kaneria told Republic TV.

“Okay, I have made him the captain for one year. I will ask him. I will ask him to give me an answer after one year. Nobody will touch him you have full support from me, but you need to perform. If you don’t perform, you go out, so that’s the thing you have to make tough decisions. Why, if you don’t make tough decisions, things will not work,” he added.

The former spinner further discussed why India has performed consistently well over the years while Pakistan’s team has been on a decline. He credited India’s coaches for instilling belief and confidence in the Indian team.

Gautam Gambhir doesn’t go back and do backbiting

Kaneria also hailed the current Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir, for his attitude and strong personality, unlike the Pakistan cricket team’s recent coaching staff.

“Why today other teams are doing so well Why is the Indian team is doing so well? They had a Rahul Dravid who worked with the team very well now they have Gautam Gambhir, a fantastic cricketer and fantastic guy. The way he reacts, he tells on the face. He doesn’t go back and do backbiting; he’s on the face straight away. This is how you have to be. You have to be strong, and like a strong person, you have to make the decision on the face, not at the back,” said Kaneria.

Gambhir had a mixed start to his coaching tenure with the Indian team. Under his guidance, a young Indian side completed a 3-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka in the T20I series, but the experienced side, with Rohit Sharma as captain, lost the ODI series 0-2.

Agencies

Agencies