The plight of Pakistan cricket team these days in the corridors of international cricket has attracted the attention of sports lovers and cricket pundits all over the world. Recently, such a sharp and derogatory comment has come to light regarding the Pakistan cricket team that was on the tour of England, which has shocked the Pakistan Cricket Board i.e. PCB and its supporters. Looking at the current performance of the Pakistani team, technical weakness and poor discipline on the field, a renowned former cricketer and sports expert from England even said in a public statement that now this team is not considered fit to play top cricket at the international level. The veteran made this comment in very strong words, saying that the level of the current Pakistan team has fallen so much that they are now only at par with the 'second division' i.e. second-rate domestic teams. After this insulting statement, Pakistan cricket is being criticized heavily on social media and sports lovers in India and abroad are debating whether the golden era of Pakistan cricket is really over forever.
Poor performance and increasing criticism on England soil
Whenever Pakistan cricket team goes on foreign tours, the expectations of crores of fans of the country are sky high, but for some time now, the performance of this team on foreign pitches has been continuously disappointing. The fate of Pakistani batsmen and bowlers on the difficult and swinging pitches of England has raised the anger of former cricketers to the heights of heights. Former England greats believe that the players of the Pakistani team are proving to be completely unsuccessful in keeping pace with the fast pace and technical nuances of modern cricket. Neither is that maturity visible in their technique nor is that mental ability to withstand pressure in big matches which is the hallmark of a Test or high level team. This is the reason why the British media and sports experts there have started openly questioning the ability of the Pakistani team on the basis of their poor performance, which has dealt a severe blow to the credibility of Pakistan cricket in the whole world.
Serious questions are being raised on PCB's policies and domestic structure.
After this international insult, the policies of the cricket administration and board have started being criticized even within Pakistan. Senior sports journalists and former Pakistani captains of the country believe that unless a radical change is made in the domestic cricket structure and the selection based on slip-sheet or recommendation is not stopped, the decline of the team cannot be stopped. The frequent changes of chairman and arbitrary decisions in the Pakistan Cricket Board have completely disturbed the mental state of the players. The habit that Pakistan has developed of playing test matches on home pitches with flat and flat wickets, when the same players take to the bouncy and seaming pitches of England or Australia, they get scattered like a pack of cards. The 'second division' taunt made by foreign experts has once again exposed the bitter truth that the Pakistani cricket department stands miles away from modern technology and professionalism.
Indiscipline and lack of fitness of players in the game
Not only the technical failure but also the fitness of the players and the indiscipline seen on the field has been a major reason behind this disgrace in England. In modern cricket, where the level of fitness is kept at the top and the players do fielding and running with agility, on the other hand many players of the Pakistani team are often the target of trolls due to their poor fitness and lazy attitude. Dropping catches, leaving simple run outs and continuously giving away extra runs in bowling has become his common nature. Foreign commentators and former players have taken a jibe at this and said that the spirit of international level has disappeared from this team. When the will to fight and the hunger to win are not visible on the field, the opposing teams and their former veterans do not hesitate to make such derogatory comments, which tarnish the name of the country on the international stage.
Anger of Pakistan fans and flood of memes on social media
As soon as the England legend's statement that 'Pakistan is not fit for international cricket and belongs to the second division' went viral on social media, the internet was flooded with memes and sharp reactions. On one hand, cricket fans around the world are enjoying this statement, on the other hand, the dedicated fans of Pakistan are beating their heads after seeing this shameful performance of their players. On social media platforms, people are taking on the PCB chairman and the selectors under whose tenure the team has seen such a decline. Fans say that the officials who make tall claims of improvement are just making statements, whereas in reality the level of the team is continuously falling. Such statements have proved that on the global cricket map, Pakistan is no longer seen as a strong and fearsome team but as a weak opponent, overcoming which will prove to be a big challenge for Pakistan cricket in the coming days.