'I'm not saying this with disrespect,' Sourav Ganguly takes a swipe at Pakistan cricket crisis

The Pakistan cricket team has been facing heavy criticism after a series of poor performances, including a humiliating Test series defeat to Bangladesh where they lost both matches. This followed their failure to reach the semifinals of the ODI World Cup 2023 and an early exit in the group stages of the T20 World Cup 2024 after a shocking loss to the USA.

Former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly has weighed in on Pakistan's struggles, urging those in charge of the sport to closely examine what’s going wrong. 

Speaking at an event, Ganguly reflected on how Pakistan once boasted legendary players like Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram, but believes that isn’t the case anymore.

"I see a genuine dearth of talent in the country. Every time we think of Pakistan, we remember Miandad, Wasim, Waqar, Saeed Anwar, Mohammad Yousuf, and Younis Khan. That's the memory of Pakistan for us, but that doesn't win matches in the modern generation of cricket,” Ganguly said.

He emphasized the need for every generation to produce top-level players to stay competitive.

"Every generation has to produce outstanding players to win, and when I look at Pakistan in world cricket -- I saw them in the West Indies World Cup, in India during the World Cup, and now after the Bangladesh series loss -- there is a dearth of talent in that country," he further added.

Ganguly also mentioned that the cricket authorities in Pakistan need to address this issue. 

"The people connected with the sport in Pakistan will have to look into it. I'm not saying this with disrespect. Pakistan of the old had some great cricketers, which I don't see in this squad," he concluded.