Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif didn’t hold back when he criticized the team for being eliminated early from the T20 World Cup. For the first time ever, Pakistan didn’t make it out of the group stage, coming in 3rd place after losing to India and the USA, who were playing in their first T20 World Cup. Captain Babar Azam and the players have faced a lot of harsh criticism from former Pakistan players, but Latif didn’t want to blame the team completely.
Latif mentioned that there is a lack of unity in the team, with reports of cliques forming, but he believes the real problem is with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“If you could rewind the clock and revisit the past, we participated in two World Cups, one in Dubai (2021) and another in Australia (2022). The team was very similar, with only 3 or possibly 4 new players this time. The team’s attitude appears to be different now. Previously, the Pakistani players were very united. I’ve always mentioned that many players are eager to play, but the people who should be guiding them are absent, and there’s a noticeable lack,” Latif explained on his YouTube channel.
Latif pointed out that the team’s locker room atmosphere has been disrupted by frequent changes in leadership at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and emphasized that the players need a consistent environment.
“How the dressing room feels and acts is what really matters. If there’s a change in the top leaders or managers, the coaches also change. This shouldn’t happen; the dressing room should stay the same. All the cricket boards, especially those from countries that play Test matches, have done a good job getting ready for the T20 World Cup, except for Pakistan. It’s important to know who your chairman is and who he’s talking to,” he said.
Additionally, Pakistan’s coach, Gary Kirsten, commented on the team’s lack of unity, and his statement became very popular on the internet.
Pakistan journalist Ihtisham Ul Haq reported that Gary Kirsten said: “Pakistan’s team doesn’t have unity. They say it’s a team, but it really isn’t. They aren’t helping each other; everyone is on their own, scattered. I’ve coached many teams, but I’ve never seen a situation like this before.”
