With respect to the players, captaincy, coaching staff, selectors, and even senior management, the Pakistan cricket team saw overwhelming changes after their failure in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Yet, even after this major restructuring, things almost seem to have remained unchanged for Mohammad Rizwan’s side after the defeat against India in ICC Champions Trophy Group A match on Sunday, almost putting them out of the semi-finals race. The manner of Pakistan’s fall raises the same old questions of cricketing affairs in the board, but one of the greatest cricketers of the country, Wasim Akram, has lost his patience.

Post-match, Akram lambasted the Pakistan team, saying they had long been playing “archaic cricket” at a time when the game had turned a full circle in speed.

“It’s about time drastic steps were taken. We are playing archaic cricket in white-ball for ages,” Wasim Akram said on the show Dressing Room after his team’s defeat to India in Dubai. “This need to change. Bring fearless cricketers, young blood into the team. If you have to make five-six changes… please do.

“You’ll keep losing for the next six months. That’s okay, but start building for World T20 2026 from now.”

Akram threw Pakistan’s bowling unit under the bus with some alarming stats on the mind-numbingly dreadful performance at the international level.

“Enough is enough. You’ve made them stars. In the last five ODIs, Pakistan bowlers have taken 24 wickets with an average of 60. That’s 60 runs per wicket.

“Our average is even poorer than Oman and the USA. Among 14 teams playing ODIs, Pakistan has the second-worst bowling average,” he said.

Akram did not even spare the PCB, the selection committee, or head coach, who had declared prior to th Champions Trophy match that his team would ‘shock’ India in their encounter.

“Chairman saab, fo call captain, selection committee and coach and ask them what kind of selection they made.

“Khushdil Shah and Salam Agha would they ever seem to take wickets?

“I am literally shouting for weeks that this squad is just not good but the chairman said they assembled the best squad,” the legendary fast bowler stated.

He did not even spare Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan, claiming he, too, should take a share of the blame.

“Meeting one hour before the Champions Trophy, same squad to come out.

“What is embarrassing now is that even the captain is blamed. Rizwan is supposed to be the captain, and if he doesn’t know what kind of match-winner he needs, it’s embarrassing.”

“You should have seen those fans that came from Pakistan, then left after 15 overs of Pakistan bowling.