Is the Pakistani Cricket team held hostage by nepotism?

If Pakistan cricket wants to win, it must first defeat nepotism, favoritism, and outdated selection policies.

Imagine a young boy from a small town, playing cricket on dusty streets, dreaming of wearing the green jersey one day. He wakes up before dawn, trains tirelessly, and outperforms everyone in his local league.

But when the moment of truth arrives—the national team selection—he is sidelined, not because he lacks talent, but because he lacks connections.

Now, contrast this with India, where a rickshaw driver’s son, Mohammed Siraj, made it to the national team purely on merit.

Where the sons of cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Sourav Ganguly were not handed a free pass, but rather told, “Perform or step aside.”

Today, India stands tall among the world’s top cricketing nations because their system rewards talent, fitness, and consistency—not family names or political favors.

So, what is holding Pakistan back?

Nepotism, favouritism, foreign dependencies, and an outdated system that crushes dreams before they can take flight.

The Global standard: A Lesson in Meritocracy

In successful cricketing nations, the message is clear: talent speaks louder than surnames.

• Australia: Even though legends like Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, and Shane Warne have children involved in cricket, none have been handed a spot in the national team. They must prove themselves at the domestic level first.
• England: Jonny Bairstow (son of David Bairstow) is in the team today not because of his lineage, but because of his relentless hard work. Meanwhile, the sons of other cricketing greats like Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff never made the cut because they didn’t meet the standard.
• New Zealand: The Black Caps are known for their discipline and fairness. Kane Williamson came from an ordinary background and rose to the top purely on the basis of skill. The sons of former Kiwi greats were given no unfair advantages.
• South Africa: Shaun Pollock, nephew of Graeme Pollock, played because he was among the best—not because he carried a famous surname.

Pakistan cricket: The same old story

Now, look at Pakistan. How many talented cricketers have been left behind simply because they didn’t have the right connections? How many young boys from Sindh, Balochistan, or rural Punjab never got a chance because the system favors a select few?

Take Mushtaq Kalhoro, a promising young player who has been overlooked, despite proving himself time and again. Meanwhile, players with mediocre performances but strong backing continue to be selected.

The same fate befell Mansoor Amjad, Sami Aslam, and even Fawad Alam, who spent years in the wilderness despite delivering exceptional performances in domestic cricket.

This favoritism extends beyond selection. Players with strong connections are given endless opportunities despite repeated failures, while others are discarded after a single bad performance.

The result? A national team that is inconsistent, fragile, and unable to compete with the best.

Stop relying on foreigners— Pakistan has enough talent

Another major issue is Pakistan’s constant reliance on foreign coaches and consultants. Time and again, PCB has brought in highly paid foreign experts who fail to understand local talent, culture, and conditions. These foreign coaches often come with pre-fixed mindsets and favor only a certain kind of player, ignoring the rich talent that Pakistan produces.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s former cricketing legends like Javed Miandad, Saeed Anwar, Abdul Razzaq, and Younis Khan—who know the game inside out—are either sidelined or never given a real role in grooming our players.

If India, Australia, and England can use their own former players as head coaches, why can’t Pakistan? Instead of wasting money on foreign coaches, we should invest in our own people, ensuring a system that truly understands Pakistan’s cricketing dynamics.

Ban blood relations in selection committees and management

To make cricket selection and management more transparent and accountable, Pakistan must introduce strict rules banning blood relations from holding key positions at the same time.

• No father-son, uncle-nephew, or cousin relationships in the selection committee.

• No family members influencing team selection based on personal interests.
• Complete independence in selection decisions with full transparency in the process.

The cricket board should function like any professional organization—based on performance, not personal connections.

The way forward: A call for change

If Pakistan truly wants to reclaim its lost cricketing glory, we must break this cycle. The following steps are essential:

• Merit-Based Selection: No more free passes. If you perform, you play. If you don’t, you step aside.
• Equal Opportunities for All: Talent exists in every corner of Pakistan, from Karachi to Quetta, from Skardu to Sindh. Every region must have equal representation.
• End the Culture of ‘Sifarish’: Coaches, selectors, and PCB officials should be held accountable for biased selections.
• Revamp the Domestic System: Strengthen the structure so that top performers in domestic cricket are rewarded with national team selection.
• Performance-Based Contracts: Players should retain their spots only if they consistently perform—past reputation should mean nothing.
• Drop Foreign Coaches & Trust Pakistani Legends: Invest in our own talent, and give leadership roles to Pakistani former cricketers who truly understand the game.
• Ban Family Relations in Selection & Management: No blood relations in key decision-making positions to ensure full transparency.
• Introduce a Public Selection Process: The team selection process should be made public, with clear criteria explained so that fans and cricket experts can hold PCB accountable.

A crossroads moment

Pakistan’s cricket team is at a crossroads. We can either continue down the same path of favoritism and mediocrity, or we can embrace a new era of meritocracy—one where the best eleven take the field, regardless of who they know or where they come from.

The world is moving forward. India, Australia, and England have built winning teams by choosing deserving players. If we do not act now, Pakistan cricket will become a relic of the past—reduced to nostalgia, while other nations lift trophies.

The choice is ours. Will we open the doors for talent, or will we continue to shut them in the faces of those who truly deserve to wear the green jersey?