Mismanagement Strikes Hard at Pakistan’s Proud Fast Bowling Legacy

Team managements displayed a troubling tendency to overburden their premier pacers

Mon Jan 13 2025
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Faraz Ahmad Wattoo

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Pakistan boasts a proud legacy of producing some of the finest fast bowlers the world has ever seen. Tournaments such as the Pakistan Super League (PSL), National T20 Cup, and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy consistently serve as platforms to unveil this rich talent bank of speedsters, showcasing the country’s enduring talent pool.

During the recent second Test match against South Africa, where the hosts piled up a colossal 615 runs in their first innings, a glaring disparity emerged: South African pacers consistently hit speeds of 140 km/h, while Pakistan’s fast bowlers struggled to breach 130 km/h. This raises a pressing question: where have Pakistan’s fiery quicks gone off the radar?

Injuries and Mismanagement: The Hidden Toll

A long-standing issue that has plagued Pakistan cricket is the persistent mismanagement of fast bowlers’ injuries—a dilemma that has significantly impacted the team’s performance over the years.

Time and again, team managements have displayed a troubling tendency to overburden their premier pacers, driving them to the brink of physical collapse and compounding their injuries through substandard rehabilitation protocols. This disconcerting trend has endured for over 15 years, passing the buck to successive administrations rather than addressing the root cause.

Umar Gul
Umar Gul exults after dismissing Virat Kohli on Mar 02, 2014 —Photo by AFP

For instance, Umar Gul, celebrated as a disciplined fast bowling, fell victim to this very mismanagement. A severe knee injury in 2013 sidelined him for months, and while he staged occasional comebacks, the damage had irreversibly diminished his prowess.

Similarly, Junaid Khan, once hailed as Pakistan’s leading fast bowler for three consecutive years, suffered a cruel twist of fate. An untimely injury in 2014-15, on the eve of the 2015 World Cup, derailed his career trajectory.

Injured Fast Bowlers (2010-2025):

Umer Gul, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Khan, Rahat Ali, Muhammad Amir, Ruman Raees, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Muhammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Ihsanullah, etc.

Test Case for Rizwan as Pakistan Face South Africa
Naseem Shah —Photo by AFP

Muhammad Amir expressed grievances about being overplayed following his comeback in 2016, a workload he believed contributed to the decline in his performance by 2018. Although he delivered a respectable showing in the 2019 World Cup, the strained relationship with the Misbah-led team management forced him to retire from Test cricket and, eventually, from all formats of the game.

amir
Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir celebrates taking the wicket of India’s Rohit Sharma, lbw for 0 during the ICC Champions Trophy final cricket match between India and Pakistan at The Oval in London on June 18, 2017.—Photo by AFP / Ian KINGTON

Rumman Raees stepped in as a replacement for Amir in the semi-final of the 2017 Champions Trophy and his performance secured him a place in Pakistan’s white-ball setup. A severe injury while fielding in PSL 2018 match abruptly curtailed his international career.

Hasan Ali was named Player of the Tournament in the 2017 Champions Trophy. He excelled at breaking partnerships in the middle overs with remarkable ingenuity. However, a debilitating back injury in 2019-20 marked a turning point, robbing Pakistan of a dynamic match-winner.

Too often, injured players are not given the proper time or resources to recover, and the National Cricket Academy (NCA) fails to provide an environment conducive to full rehabilitation. Instead of focusing on healing and regaining peak performance, players are rushed back into action.

An example of this is Shaheen Afridi, whose premature return for the T20 World Cup 2022 had lasting repercussions. The rushed-comeback not only hampered his performance in the tournament but also affected his form and fitness over the subsequent two years.

ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan, India, Mohsin Naqvi, UAE, Cricket Board, ICC
Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi (right) celebrates dismissing India’s Rohit Sharma during ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match on October 14, 2023 —Photo by AFP

His father-in-law, Shahid Afridi, revealed in an interview that Shaheen had been funding his treatment in the United Kingdom out of his own pocket, while the PCB failed to adequately safeguard the career of the country’s premier pacer. “Shaheen is staying in England with his own money. I arranged a doctor for him there and he contacted him. PCB is providing nothing to Shaheen,” Afridi alleged.

Recent tours to Australia and South Africa, however, have reignited hope. The left arm fast bowler’s rhythm and control have returned, with his pace and precision reminiscent of his prime. Had he been given adequate recovery time, we would have witnessed his full brilliance on display during the World Cup 2023 in India.

The lack of a structured, well-planned rehabilitation process prevents players from fully recovering. Injury mismanagement has become a persistent problem, which not only prolongs their recovery but also risks turning short-term injuries into long-term setbacks.

Ihsanullah is the right example of this. He was the standout bowler of PSL 2023. His meteoric rise earned him his maiden cap against Afghanistan in Sharjah immediately after the tournament. However, during the series against New Zealand in April, he suffered an elbow injury that sidelined him ever since. Reports emerged that his condition worsened due to alleged mismanagement and inadequate rehabilitation facilities.

The Fitness Dilemma

Over the past two-three years, fitness standards of the Pakistan cricket team have visibly declined, with players appearing to approach the game with a lack of urgency and intensity.

Muhammad Hafeez, who served as the Director of Pakistan team in 2023-24, once talking on ASports, said, “When we went to Australia, I asked the trainer about the fitness of the players. When the fat levels of the players were checked, the skin fold of all of them was high—for most players it was 1.5 times the limit. They were unfit and some of them couldn’t complete a two km trial run. You will suffer defeats if the fitness is like that.”

Wasim Akram believes the root cause lies in the lack of accountability within the core group of players, who remain unchanged despite fluctuating performances, while coaches and management are frequently replaced in a futile attempt to address deeper systemic issues.

He said, “Pakistani players think that if they don’t perform well, the coaches will be sacked, and nothing will happen to them. It is time to keep the coaches and change the entire team.”

This revolving door of leadership disrupts consistency and allows complacency to set in among players, as they face little pressure to evolve or adhere to the high fitness benchmarks that modern cricket demands. It will not help the team if foundation grows stagnant while the structure around it is constantly reshuffled.

While larger cricketing nations meticulously safeguard their players’ well-being, skilfully manage workload rotations, and preserve team synergy without compromising performance, Pakistan continues to grapple with challenges rooted in its own resource mismanagement.

Unlike Pakistan, India did not historically possess a wealth of elite pacers but has systematically cultivated one by prioritising domestic cricket over lucrative franchise leagues, fostering a culture of fitness, and ensuring its players maintain peak physical conditioning.

Each team relies on a core group of three to four primary fast bowlers across all formats. Yet, they prudently shield these invaluable players from less consequential matches, safeguarding their longevity and effectiveness. Pakistan must adopt a similar approach with its premier fast bowlers, ensuring they reserve their efforts for critical fixtures.

While leagues undoubtedly provide players with substantial financial opportunities, they should never be allowed to jeopardise the integrity or sustainability of an international career. The balance between personal gain and national duty must always favour the latter.

The writer is a cricket commentator based in Islamabad.

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