Pakistan great Wasim Akram believes the crisis engulfing the country’s cricket system has become so deep-rooted that even he cannot fix it on his own, pointing to problems that extend from the national team to the domestic structure.The former Pakistan captain said the team’s struggles cannot be blamed on a single person or department, with shortcomings evident in batting, bowling and fielding as well as instability in first-class cricket.Akram said he had expected Pakistan to struggle badly in their ongoing Test series in England because of the weaknesses within the side.“I knew before the Test series started in England we would lose three nil because of the glaring problems in our batting and bowling,” he said.Pakistan’s problems were again exposed on the opening day of the third Test. After seven players from the original squad were released, the visitors were forced into four changes and fielded three debutants.They were asked to bat first on an overcast day and quickly found themselves in trouble. Pakistan lost their first four wickets inside the opening hour, with three more falling before lunch, before the innings ended at just 133 in the 34th over.The top five batters all fell for single-digit scores. Saud Shakeel offered some resistance with a positive 43, while Abbas was Pakistan’s second-highest scorer with 21.England’s Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer picked up three wickets each, accounting for Pakistan’s top four, while Josh Tongue continued his impressive form by claiming four wickets.Akram, however, believes the problems go well beyond what is happening in the current Test series.The legendary fast bowler said he is regularly asked whether he can step in and help Pakistan cricket, but argued that the scale of the problems makes it impossible for one individual to provide a solution.“I get asked all the time, ‘Can you do something to help Pakistan cricket?’ But the issues are a lot deeper. These are the top players, there’s nothing else there. The systems aren’t there below that,” he said.Akram particularly highlighted the lack of consistency and patience in Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure. He believes constant changes and instability at first-class level have contributed to the failure to develop enough quality players for the national team.He also criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board’s inconsistent decision-making, saying the problems have built up across the entire cricket ecosystem rather than being restricted to selection calls, coaches or dressing-room decisions.“Our batting is struggling, our bowling is below average, and our fielding is worse. It’s not rocket science,” Akram said.According to the former fast bowler, Pakistan’s current performances are therefore a reflection of wider structural issues. He stressed that responsibility for the team’s decline rests with multiple stakeholders and cannot simply be placed on the players or coaching staff.For Akram, the immediate problems are visible in England, but fixing Pakistan cricket will require greater stability and patience much further down the system.
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