From Adiala Jail, Imran Khan expressed his disappointment over Pakistan’s poor performance, blaming PCB leadership and structural changes for the team’s downfall.
February 26, 2025: Imran Khan Slams Pakistan’s Cricket Management After Champions Trophy Debacle
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan, currently jailed at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, has spoken out against Pakistan’s disastrous Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. His sister Aleema Khan revealed that Imran was deeply saddened by Pakistan’s crushing defeats against India and New Zealand, which led to their early elimination from the tournament.
Key Takeaways:
1️⃣ Disappointed With Pakistan’s Exit: Imran expressed deep sorrow over Pakistan’s performance, particularly the loss to India in Dubai.
2️⃣ Criticism of PCB Leadership: He questioned the credentials of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, alleging that appointing unqualified individuals to leadership roles is ruining cricket in Pakistan.
3️⃣ “Cricket Will Be Destroyed” Warning: Imran warned that the sport will collapse if favoritism continues in decision-making roles within Pakistan cricket.
4️⃣ Najam Sethi’s Take on Pakistan’s Decline: Former PCB chairman Najam Sethi indirectly blamed Imran Khan’s tenure as Prime Minister for Pakistan’s cricket downfall, citing changes to domestic cricket structure in 2019.
The nation is justifiably angry. The cricket fraternity says Pakistan has hit rock bottom. How come a cricket team that was once #1 in T20s (2018) and Tests (2016) and ODIs (1990 and 1996), which won the WC in 1992 and CT in 2017, is today equated with Zimbabwe?
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) February 25, 2025
The downfall…
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5️⃣ Structural Issues in Domestic Cricket: Under Imran’s leadership, PCB ended departmental cricket, replacing it with an Australian-style six-team first-class system, which Sethi and others believe weakened Pakistan’s talent pipeline.
6️⃣ Internal Chaos & Leadership Failures: Sethi also pointed out issues like frequent coach changes, inconsistent selections, and player power struggles, leading to Pakistan’s poor performance.
7️⃣ Pakistan’s Current Cricket Crisis: With early elimination from Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan cricket is at one of its lowest points, struggling with poor leadership, lack of strategy, and team instability.
Can Pakistan Cricket Recover?
Sethi emphasized that Pakistan cricket can bounce back if key stakeholders recognize the problems and bring in qualified professionals to manage the team. However, continued political interference and mismanagement could worsen the situation.
With Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 around the corner, many believe its financial success or failure will indicate the extent of damage done to Pakistan cricket’s reputation.