NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan Test batter and ex-head coach Haroon Rasheed on Tuesday highlighted a stark difference between the cricket ecosystems of India and Pakistan, arguing that India are reaping the benefits of long-range planning, a resilient domestic setup and a well-structured pathway for age-group talent. Rasheed, who believes Pakistan’s progress has been hindered by inconsistency and frequent instability, said the outcomes seen on the field are a reflection of deeper issues in the country’s cricket system.
Discussing the gap in performance, Rasheed pointed to Pakistan’s recent results, stating that the pattern of defeats—starting with their Test losses to Bangladesh and extending to earlier setbacks in shorter-format cricket—offers a clear picture of the state of their game. “The recent Test defeats to Bangladesh and, even before that, our performances in white-ball cricket tell the real story of what’s happening in our cricket,” he said.
Rasheed, who worked with the Pakistan Cricket Board in several capacities including chief selector, coach for senior and junior teams, and head of the cricket academy, argued that India’s system has built a deep reservoir of players. He placed particular emphasis on India’s T20 pipeline, suggesting that the volume and quality of options are a direct result of players progressing through defined age-group structures. “India currently has a huge amount of talent to choose from, especially in T20 cricket. The reason is that their players come through a proper pathway across different age groups,” he said.
Looking back at Pakistan’s journey, the former Pakistan batter said the absence of steadiness, long-term continuity and structured planning has taken a heavy toll over the years. “I don’t think changing the board chairman so frequently has helped at all. I worked under at least six different chairmen during my time, and when a new chairman takes over, it usually means he brings in his own people, policies and mindset,” Rasheed added.
Rasheed also called for an urgent overhaul of Pakistan’s domestic structure, warning that without change the country could fall further behind as other cricketing nations move quickly. “In Pakistan, there is a dire need to transform the domestic structure which has been shaped by competition between association and departmental cricket. They have to come up with a new concept, otherwise we will be left behind. Even Bangladesh has already shown how improvement is possible,” he said.
On the leadership front, he questioned the PCB’s repeated switches in captaincy, arguing that constant changes prevent a team from building stability and developing a consistent identity. “Whenever you appoint a captain in any format, it should be done with a proper thought process. So how can you keep changing captains again and again? How will that help the Pakistan team become consistent and stable?” Rasheed said.
Rasheed further suggested that Pakistan have historically done better when captains were given longer stints in charge. He also warned that the team could struggle in the future if young players are not groomed appropriately. “There are a lot of things that need to be corrected in Pakistan cricket. Otherwise, we will continue to fall further behind. The bigger issue is that we are not even grooming our young talent properly, or giving them the right coaching and exposure to prepare for long-term international cricket,” he concluded.
