Stadiums have been built, now make a team

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“Man, we spent so much money to watch this match, and they lost again!”—I overheard two young men saying this while leaving after the Tri-Series final. Others around them also looked disappointed with the team’s performance. Just two days earlier, Pakistan had chased a record target against South Africa, raising expectations. But then, they suffered another defeat against New Zealand.

The PCB spent billions, whether 12 or 17, they certainly built stadiums; Lahore’s venue is ready, and now Karachi’s is too. Unfortunately, though, a strong team has not been built. Mohsin Speed alone won’t help here—players need to perform on the field. The Champions Trophy is just two days away, and yet we still haven’t finalized our team combination.

From day one, the squad selection was criticized, and the Tri-Series confirmed those concerns. Babar Azam struggled as an opener, yet we don’t have a proper opening partner for Fakhar Zaman. Saud Shakeel is a Test player, yet somehow, he keeps making it into ICC events. Our lone specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed, was ineffective. Faheem Ashraf and Khushdil Shah’s performances showed that the criticism against them was justified.

Former cricketers and the media kept raising concerns, but the selectors ignored them. Even the PCB chairman’s advice was disregarded. Now, it’s too late for changes. Looking at the reality, expectations should remain low—but then again, the Green Shirts have always been unpredictable. Who knows? Maybe they’ll shine in the Champions Trophy.

Babar Azam often starts well but then gets out—perhaps this time, he’ll play a big innings. Maybe Fakhar Zaman will do something special. Perhaps Muhammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha will replicate their performances from the South Africa match. Shaheen might emerge as a match-winner again, or Naseem and Haris could destroy the opposition’s batting. At this point, all we can do is hope.

The current PCB administration, like the previous one, has hired several former Test cricketers, some at record salaries, but there’s little to show for it. Which player from the Champions Cup has performed for the national team? Who has learned to hit sixes from Abdul Razzaq’s strike camp? Previously, the board hired ex-cricketers for media management, ensuring they wouldn’t speak against them. Now, no journalist or ex-cricketer dares to criticize Mohsin Naqvi. Even the biggest names in cricket fear him.

The PCB should only employ ex-players where necessary and keep the rest on a consultancy basis. This would save costs—stadium construction has already drained enough funds. After a long time, Pakistan is hosting a major event in the form of the Champions Trophy, and winning it is crucial. You can build cricket stadiums on the moon, but a board’s success is judged by the team’s performance.

When the Green Shirts lose, people forget about the stadiums’ beauty and focus on the defeats. The first match is against New Zealand, who just beat us twice. Then comes a game against India in Dubai. Our players already seem psychologically burdened—just look at Salman Ali Agha’s interview, where he said, “Even if we lose to India, it’s not a problem; we want to win the Champions Trophy.”

That interview was conducted by another Salman—Salman Butt. It’s baffling why the PCB is so generous towards him. The farther he stays from cricketers, the better—yet, they made him a podcast host. Pakistan must defeat India. They’ve spread plenty of negative news about our stadiums and preparations. Everyone is coming here, but they moved their matches to Dubai. Our team should silence them with a victory.

Jasprit Bumrah isn’t playing, so there may not be a better opportunity to win. Yesterday’s opening ceremony in Lahore had no captains or current players. There was no traditional captain's press conference or photoshoot. The Indian board is responsible for this—they didn’t send their team.

During the Tri-Series in Karachi, attendance was low, despite reports that all tickets had been sold. The PCB must investigate—if tickets are sold out, why aren’t people coming? There are banners outside the stadiums, but the city lacks proper branding for the Champions Trophy.

Whenever I watch a match in Lahore, it feels like a festival. Karachi lacks that atmosphere. Hopefully, the Champions Trophy will bring packed stadiums—but for that, the team must perform well.

After the loss to New Zealand, all blame was placed on Mohammad Rizwan for choosing to bat first. But it wasn’t just his decision—Aaqib Javed and others were equally responsible. We still drop catches like amateurs. Our DRS decision-making is so poor that we might need coaching on how to take reviews.

The team is missing Saim Ayub, who is in England for treatment. However, several social media posts make it seem like he’s on vacation. He should be careful—“honey traps” are common these days. He should focus on recovery; there will be plenty of opportunities for vacations in the future.

Now, with the Champions Trophy about to begin, we must forget selection mistakes and support our team. Who knows? Maybe The King (Babar) will finally deliver, or Shaheen will soar high. The world runs on hope, and we should hold on to it too.