"It's like musical chairs", Indian all-rounder critiques leadership instability in Pakistan cricket

Star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, fresh off his Player of the Series accolades in the recently concluded Test series against Bangladesh, has voiced his concerns regarding the current state of cricket in Pakistan. In a candid video that has gained significant traction online, Ashwin described the ongoing turmoil within the Pakistan cricket team as “disheartening.”

The Indian all-rounder, reflecting on Pakistan's illustrious cricketing history, emphasized the team's potential but lamented the frequent changes in captaincy that have led to a climate of instability.

“I’m being honest when I say that the current state of Pakistan cricket is a bit disheartening to see. Pakistan has had some incredible and dangerous cricketers in the past, and they had such a strong team. From a cricketer’s perspective, this cricketing country is a proud one. So, where is the lack of skill? There are so many skilled players,” he stated.

The spinner drew attention to the current leadership turmoil, likening it to a “musical chairs” scenario.

“And sometimes it feels like a musical chair situation, seriously. The music keeps playing, and we’re just thinking about grabbing a chair. In the 2023 World Cup, they lost, and then Babar (Azam) resigned. After that, they gave the captaincy to (Shaheen Shah) Afridi, but then they brought Babar back for limited overs and made Shan Masood the Test captain. Just look at the situation: Pakistan hasn’t won a Test match at home. I mean, it’s been a long time since they won a Test match—maybe around 1,000 days or something like that. It’s almost been 3 years,” he said.

"So what would I think as a cricketer. Should I focus on my game or on the team? Every cricketer will be so unstable inside the dressing room that he will start thinking about himself and will think less about the team,” he added.

Pakistan recently faced shocking defeats in both Tests against Bangladesh at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and is now gearing up for a three-match Test series against England, beginning October 7 in Multan.