"Can't play in the IPL and earn those riches" - Veteran commentator highlights 'volatile' environment behind Pakistan cricket's decline

Ex-New Zealand cricketer and veteran commentator Ian Smith has highlighted how Pakistan players hardly get any opportunity to develop themselves amid geo-political challenges and the upheaval within the board. Smith pointed out that Pakistani players can't play in the IPL or a majority of other franchise leagues, given the Indian ownership stake.

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Pakistani players have been banned from the IPL since the terror attack in Mumbai in 2008. With IPL franchises buying stakes in ILT20, The Hundred, and SA20, hardly any Pakistani players play in the competitions. As per Ian Smith, Pakistani cricketers' abilities have declined in T20 cricket.

Writing in a column, as quoted by Geo Super, Smith blamed the multiple changes in management and captaincy for the Men in Green's inconsistent performances. He wrote:

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"Pakistan players can't play in the IPL and earn those riches, or in fact, many of the leagues around the world which are principally Indian owned. It's a volatile environment, Pakistan cricket. They've had more personnel changes amongst the board, the administrators, the selectors, coaches, and players than you can poke a stick at."

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"I'll challenge you and your mates over a few beers at any stage, name the last 10 Pakistan Captains, and I'll wager you'll only have to go back seven years or so to line them all up. It is a veritable revolving door of world cricket."

Muhammad Rizwan, who captained the Asian Giants in the recently concluded Champions Trophy 2025, failed to lead them to a single win in the tournament. Although the keeper-batter retained his ODI captaincy ahead of the New Zealand tour, all-rounder Salman Ali Agha was named T20I skipper.

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"Pakistan's best chance of world recognition is to perform well when given the chance on the world stage" - Ian Smith

Salman Ali Agha is under pressure. (Credits: Getty)

The Men in Green are trailing the five-match T20I series against New Zealand by 2-0 at the moment. Smith stated that Pakistani players need to perform well at the international stage to prove themselves, but they aren't able to do that. He added:

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"Pakistan's best chance of world recognition is to perform well when given the chance on the world stage and on tours such as this one in New Zealand. And in all honesty, early signs are that they won't - or they just simply can't."

The tourists lost convincingly in Christchurch and Dunedin and have the opportunity to keep the series alive in Auckland in the third T20I on Friday, March 21.

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