Former Pakistan captains and cricket veterans tore into their cricket board after Pakistan surrendered the three-Test series in the UK, with British media calling them the worst team to visit England in the last 50 years. 1992 World Cup winner Wasim Akram, former white-ball captain Shahid Afridi and legendary leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed showed no mercy while snapping at Pakistan Cricket following a record low. While Akram said he saw this coming five years ago, Afridi’s heart went out to the players, whom he feels were disrespected. Ahmed, however, reflected on the current situation, saying it will take a long time to fix this mess.&nbsp;Pakistan failed to cross 200 until the final innings of the third Test in Birmingham, with batters facing scrutiny for the miserable performance. Pakistan lost the first two Tests in Leeds and London by significant margins before it all fell apart for Babar Azam’s side. The PCB took harsh steps by releasing two main coaches, including head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, while also sending seven first-team squad members home.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-d-be-open-to-it-mike-hesson-expresses-interest-in-pakistan-test-coaching-role-1789278251514">'I'd be open to it': Mike Hesson expresses interest in Pakistan Test coaching role</a>&nbsp;Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha – who stood as the interim captain for the series opener in Babar’s absence - and Imam-ul-Haq were sent home after the Lord's Test. The selection committee picked seven replacements, five of whom were uncapped.Pakistan also recalled white-ball coaches Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke to replace Sarfaraz and Gul.&nbsp;In the third and final Test at Edgbaston, the Babar-led team made several changes, including three debutants, even though the result didn’t change as England won by eight wickets and inflicted a series whitewash.<h2>Who Said What?</h2>Bowling king Wasim Akram said, "It's a disappointing state, but I could see this coming for the last five years, and you can't blame one particular person and one factor because there are many.”&nbsp;"We need to realise that we lack talent in red-ball cricket. White-ball teams are okay. &nbsp;It's easy to blame the PCB chairman, but when we were sleeping and not addressing the overall flaws, then such a fall happens,” said Akram to AFP.&nbsp;Akram’s fellow former star Shahid Afridi described the situation at the helm as "bleak".&nbsp;"These are gloomy times in Pakistan cricket," Afridi told AFP. "You don't disrespect players like this, and your system is not strong."&nbsp;Mushtaq, on the other hand, said, "We had a great number of match-winners and a strong legacy, and that is why we produced results in the past. Now the decline is steep and will take time to fix."&nbsp;After losing to England, Pakistan sit at the bottom of the points table with seven losses and two wins in nine contested matches in the current WTC 2025/27 cycle.

Wasim Akram, Shahid Afridi, and Mushtaq Ahmed slam the PCB after Pakistan's 3-0 Test series collapse against England leaves them bottom of the WTC table.

Former Pakistan captains and cricket veterans tore into their cricket board after Pakistan surrendered the three-Test series in the UK, with British media calling them the worst team to visit England in the last 50 years. 1992 World Cup winner Wasim Akram, former white-ball captain Shahid Afridi and legendary leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed showed no mercy while snapping at Pakistan Cricket following a record low. While Akram said he saw this coming five years ago, Afridi’s heart went out to the players, whom he feels were disrespected. Ahmed, however, reflected on the current situation, saying it will take a long time to fix this mess. Pakistan failed to cross 200 until the final innings of the third Test in Birmingham, with batters facing scrutiny for the miserable performance. Pakistan lost the first two Tests in Leeds and London by significant margins before it all fell apart for Babar Azam’s side. The PCB took harsh steps by releasing two main coaches, including head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, while also sending seven first-team squad members home. Also read| 'I'd be open to it': Mike Hesson expresses interest in Pakistan Test coaching role Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha – who stood as the interim captain for the series opener in Babar’s absence - and Imam-ul-Haq were sent home after the Lord's Test. The selection committee picked seven replacements, five of whom were uncapped. Pakistan also recalled white-ball coaches Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke to replace Sarfaraz and Gul. In the third and final Test at Edgbaston, the Babar-led team made several changes, including three debutants, even though the result didn’t change as England won by eight wickets and inflicted a series whitewash. Who Said What? Bowling king Wasim Akram said, "It's a disappointing state, but I could see this coming for the last five years, and you can't blame one particular person and one factor because there are many.” "We need to realise that we lack talent in red-ball cricket. White-ball teams are okay. It's easy to blame the PCB chairman, but when we were sleeping and not addressing the overall flaws, then such a fall happens,” said Akram to AFP. Akram’s fellow former star Shahid Afridi described the situation at the helm as "bleak". "These are gloomy times in Pakistan cricket," Afridi told AFP. "You don't disrespect players like this, and your system is not strong." Mushtaq, on the other hand, said, "We had a great number of match-winners and a strong legacy, and that is why we produced results in the past. Now the decline is steep and will take time to fix." After losing to England, Pakistan sit at the bottom of the points table with seven losses and two wins in nine contested matches in the current WTC 2025/27 cycle.

Wasim Akram, Shahid Afridi, and Mushtaq Ahmed slam the PCB after Pakistan's 3-0 Test series collapse against England leaves them bottom of the WTC table.

Akram, Afridi, Mushtaq tear into PCB after Pakistan’s Test series collapse in UK

Pakistan has beaten India only once across both World Cup formats (ODI and T20I): during the 2021 T20 WC clash in Dubai. Test captain Babar Azam and keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan stitched a stunning 152-run stand for the opening wicket as Pakistan chased the target with 10 wickets remaining. While that win was monumental for the Men in Green, considering they had not beaten India on the biggest stage until then, it had its cons too, with former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf pointing out how it damaged Pakistan cricket more. &nbsp;Ironically, India worked on its T20 approach following that edition and later won two back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026; the opposite happened for their arch-rivals. Possessing emerging superstars in their ranks during that Dubai T20 World Cup fixture in 2021, including Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s cricket went downhill after that crushing win, with Yousuf explaining how. &nbsp;“That match which we won against India in 2021, that damaged us a lot. Because after that victory, players started to think that they had achieved something big. They couldn’t understand what they had to do next. When you are performing well, you should stay humble. If you behave with your collar raised and get disrespectful, problems will arrive. And a lot of them have arrived in Pakistan cricket,” said Yousuf in a conversation on Samaa TV. &nbsp;Exposing loopholes in the Pakistan Team following Dubai’s miracle, Yousuf revealed how success went to their heads, and all began chasing Pakistan’s captaincy.&nbsp; &nbsp;“Everyone in the team was trying to become the captain of the Pakistan team. The consequences are still hurting Pakistan cricket. Look at all the cricket Pakistan has played in the last four to five years, from ODI World Cups, T20 World Cups to Asia Cups and Champions Trophy. There has been terrible cricket. The PCB has been supporting you throughout. So many coaches have come and gone, so many things have changed just to try and help the Pakistan team. But no player has stood up and taken responsibility. Eventually, PCB had to take a step that it did. I back what PCB did,” added Yousuf.<h2>Yousuf on PCB Dropping 7 Players from UK Tour</h2>Turmoil gripped Pakistan cricket after they lost at Lord’s and conceded the three-match Test series (2-0) with one game to go. While the PCB faced severe backlash for dropping seven first-squad players and releasing head coach (Sarfaraz Ahmed) and bowling coach (Umar Gul) in a wider clean-up, Yousuf backed the country’s board for making such drastic changes midway through the series.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pcb-seizes-pakistan-players-mobile-phones-edgbaston-test-1788691929281">‘Jail-Like Environment’: PCB seizes Pakistan players' phones ahead of Edgbaston Test — Report</a> &nbsp;“Yes, there is no issue with when the PCB have taken action. The Pakistan team is ninth in the World Test Championship standings. They are ninth because there are only nine teams in the table. Pakistan’s reputation is getting ruined. So, when that’s happening, the board has to take some steps to improve,” the batting veteran noted. &nbsp;“I don’t see an issue with the PCB reaction. Because the team has been playing terrible cricket. It’s not just this one series against England. We played in the T20 World Cup final in 2022 and played in an Asia Cup final as well, but since those finals, just look at the performances coming out of this Pakistan team,” Yousuf concluded.

Mohammad Yousuf reveals how Pakistan's historic 10-wicket victory over India in the 2021 T20 World Cup sparked overconfidence, internal strife, and the team's ongoing crisis.

Pakistan has beaten India only once across both World Cup formats (ODI and T20I): during the 2021 T20 WC clash in Dubai. Test captain Babar Azam and keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan stitched a stunning 152-run stand for the opening wicket as Pakistan chased the target with 10 wickets remaining. While that win was monumental for the Men in Green, considering they had not beaten India on the biggest stage until then, it had its cons too, with former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf pointing out how it damaged Pakistan cricket more. Ironically, India worked on its T20 approach following that edition and later won two back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026; the opposite happened for their arch-rivals. Possessing emerging superstars in their ranks during that Dubai T20 World Cup fixture in 2021, including Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s cricket went downhill after that crushing win, with Yousuf explaining how. “That match which we won against India in 2021, that damaged us a lot. Because after that victory, players started to think that they had achieved something big. They couldn’t understand what they had to do next. When you are performing well, you should stay humble. If you behave with your collar raised and get disrespectful, problems will arrive. And a lot of them have arrived in Pakistan cricket,” said Yousuf in a conversation on Samaa TV. Exposing loopholes in the Pakistan Team following Dubai’s miracle, Yousuf revealed how success went to their heads, and all began chasing Pakistan’s captaincy. “Everyone in the team was trying to become the captain of the Pakistan team. The consequences are still hurting Pakistan cricket. Look at all the cricket Pakistan has played in the last four to five years, from ODI World Cups, T20 World Cups to Asia Cups and Champions Trophy. There has been terrible cricket. The PCB has been supporting you throughout. So many coaches have come and gone, so many things have changed just to try and help the Pakistan team. But no player has stood up and taken responsibility. Eventually, PCB had to take a step that it did. I back what PCB did,” added Yousuf. Yousuf on PCB Dropping 7 Players from UK Tour Turmoil gripped Pakistan cricket after they lost at Lord’s and conceded the three-match Test series (2-0) with one game to go. While the PCB faced severe backlash for dropping seven first-squad players and releasing head coach (Sarfaraz Ahmed) and bowling coach (Umar Gul) in a wider clean-up, Yousuf backed the country’s board for making such drastic changes midway through the series. Also read| ‘Jail-Like Environment’: PCB seizes Pakistan players' phones ahead of Edgbaston Test — Report “Yes, there is no issue with when the PCB have taken action. The Pakistan team is ninth in the World Test Championship standings. They are ninth because there are only nine teams in the table. Pakistan’s reputation is getting ruined. So, when that’s happening, the board has to take some steps to improve,” the batting veteran noted. “I don’t see an issue with the PCB reaction. Because the team has been playing terrible cricket. It’s not just this one series against England. We played in the T20 World Cup final in 2022 and played in an Asia Cup final as well, but since those finals, just look at the performances coming out of this Pakistan team,” Yousuf concluded.

Mohammad Yousuf reveals how Pakistan's historic 10-wicket victory over India in the 2021 T20 World Cup sparked overconfidence, internal strife, and the team's ongoing crisis.

‘10-wicket win against India in Dubai cost us’: Mohammad Yousuf on when Pakistan cricket's downfall began

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Akram, Afridi, Mushtaq tear into PCB after Pakistan’s Test series collapse in UK

Mohammad Yousuf reveals how 2021 India win triggered Pakistan cricket’s downfall