Sikander Bakht critiques Pakistan players' lack of progress despite global league participation

Former Pakistan cricketer Sikander Bakht voiced his concerns about the current state of Pakistani cricket following their disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, which was co-hosted by the USA and West Indies.

In a recent interview at a local news channel, Bakht criticized Pakistani players' lack of progress and discipline, especially compared to their Indian counterparts.

The former began his critique by pointing out the need for tangible improvement in Pakistani cricketers despite their participation in various international leagues.

He also highlighted the stark contrast in professionalism between Pakistani and Indian cricketers. He noted that Indian players predominantly focus on their domestic league, the IPL, and maintain strict discipline.

"They [Pakistan Cricketers] play every league in the world, but do not learn anything; they do not improve. Has anyone ever raised their voice from the camp to say that I am now 36 years old and retiring from T20Is? People are sitting on chairs to recite prayers. What does that mean? It means that if you pray sitting on a chair, your knees are gone, but you have not made any announcement. People should do it; this is the difference between our culture and theirs [Indian team]," Sikander said.

"Those guys don't play outside the IPL, do they? They hardly play anywhere else, and look at their discipline. If our boy goes and plays in the IPL now, what's left? It's strange how people talk now. Our boys have formed gangs; videos are circulating showing Babar Azam practicing. They're practicing; that's their job. They're not cooking food for anyone's sake. I don't know if they're doing something really big that they shouldn't be doing, but even if they're running, what's the harm?" he added.

It is worth noting that the Men in Green had a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. They faced an upset defeat at the hands of co-hosts the USA, followed by a crucial loss against arch-rivals India. Despite winning their last two matches against Canada and Ireland, it wasn't enough to advance to the next round, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.