Former captain Moin Khan has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to take bold steps and rebuild the team after the disastrous ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.
“I’ve been listening to a lot of former players’ comments lately, but since we’re already losing, why not just build a new team? What’s the worst that can happen? We will lose again, but at least we would have done something different,” Moin remarked.
The 2017 Champions Trophy winners had a forgettable title defence, suffering back-to-back defeats against New Zealand and India before their last group-stage match against Bangladesh was washed out.
Their early exit from the Champions Trophy has once again sparked discussions about Pakistan cricket’s direction, with many questioning the persistence of certain players in the squad despite inconsistent performances.
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Moin made it clear that while nobody is doubting the talent of the current players, every cricketer must justify his place in the team with consistent performances.
He also stressed the importance of patience from fans and former players if the selectors decide to rebuild the squad, even in just one format.
“Especially with social media nowadays, when selectors drop a senior or not-so-senior player, there’s immediate backlash. But when the same team keeps losing, those players are brought back, and the cycle continues. So, where exactly are we headed?” Moin questioned.
The former wicketkeeper-batter also dismissed claims about a lack of quality cricketing talent in Pakistan, instead pointing fingers at inconsistent selection policies.
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“The real issue is whether we even try to properly and justly give exposure to new players, groom them, and encourage them. Our problem is that we have different policies for different players,” he said.
According to sources, senior players of the Pakistan cricket team, including Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, are likely to be given a break for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.
The series between Pakistan and New Zealand will run from 16 March 16 to 5 April, featuring five T20Is and three ODIs.
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