Pakistan toured India in 1952 under the captaincy of the late Abdul Hafeez Kardar. It was Pakistan’s maiden tour in Test cricket. Pakistan’s cricket history spans 74 years. During these years, the national cricket team has played 469 Test matches, winning 152, losing 151, while 166 ended in draws. Pakistan has awarded Test caps to 262 cricketers in these Test matches.

During the recent tour of Bangladesh, the national cricket team suffered a 2-0 humiliation at the hands of the hosts. Defeat and victory are two fundamental elements of sport; however, serious concerns are being raised in Pakistan cricket circles over the national team’s prolonged decline and disastrous performances in long-format Test cricket. Captain Shan Masood, who was appointed to the leadership role in December 2023 by Zaka Ashraf after Babar Azam stepped down, has seen Pakistan lose 12 out of 16 Tests under his captaincy during the past 30 months.

This is the third cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, where Pakistan’s cricket team is placed only above the West Indies cricket team among the nine competing teams meaning they currently stand eighth. Pakistan’s next two-match Test series is against the West Indies on their home ground. In other words, if this poor run of form continues, the national team is in danger of slipping to the very bottom of the standings.

In the 2019–21 edition of the ICC Test Championship, Pakistan finished fifth. In the second edition (2021–23), they ended up seventh, while in the third edition (2023–25), Pakistan finished ninth and last. Even now, the situation appears extremely bleak. Forget about reaching the final even breaking into the top five seems like a massive challenge for the national side.

Why is Pakistan failing to produce quality performances in Test cricket? Cricket experts, commentators, analysts, and former players all share the same viewpoint: unless the country’s first-class cricket structure is strengthened and players are encouraged to play first-class cricket, the situation will continue in the same manner and may even become worse.

In reality, everyone has their own opinion. Many people are also blaming the Pakistan Super League for this decline, whereas in fact, the PSL has brought stability to Pakistan cricket and helped shape the futures of many players. However, issues related to selection, compromises on fitness standards, and the players’ focus and priorities are perhaps the most important factors. Without addressing these matters in the true sense, Pakistan cricket will not move forward.

Test captain Shan Masood is placed in Category “D” of the Pakistan Cricket Board central contracts, while right-arm fast bowler Mohammad Abbas who bowled 87 overs across four innings in the two-Test series against Bangladesh is also included in the same category. Vice-captain Saud Shakeel is placed in Category “C” alongside spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan. So when the board itself views Test cricketers through this lens, then naturally the standard of performances in the longer format will reflect the same reality.

Among the cricketers receiving the highest benefits, privileges, and facilities from the Pakistan Cricket Board, all-rounder Shadab Khan has not played a Test match since 2020. Pakistan’s number one batter Babar Azam has not scored a Test century since December 2022, despite having played 34 Tests since then. Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan has not won a Man of the Match award in Test cricket since 2020, while fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has not received the award in the format since 2021.

During the past 30 months, the national team’s newly appointed head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed has become the 5th person to hold the position. Before him, the cricket board had already experimented with Mohammad Hafeez, Jason Gillespie, Aaqib Javed, and Azhar Mahmood in the same role. So when there are so many issues, how can Pakistan possibly remove the burden of repeated defeats in Test cricket from around its neck?