PCB labelled jokers; Pakistan Cricket tagged as a Circus ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan’s woes reached new depths following a 0-2 Test series defeat to Bangladesh at home, which was the first-ever Test series loss to their Asian rivals.

This embarrassing series loss to Bangladesh sparked intense backlash from fans, former players, and the media as well.

With Pakistan’s dream of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2025 almost shattered, the series of defeats raised serious questions about the direction of Pakistan cricket.

Yasir Arafat blasts PCB after Pakistan's embarrassing 0-2 Test series loss to Bangladesh

Among those voicing their frustration is former cricketer Yasir Arafat, who did not hold back in his criticism of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for their decision-making after Bangladesh put them to shame.

He said that Pakistan’s loss to Bangladesh has exposed glaring issues in the team’s fitness, technique, and overall preparedness, putting the spotlight on management and player development.

Arafat’s scathing assessment came as Pakistan is gearing up for the upcoming Test series against England while playing in the inaugural Champions Cup, a List A tournament recently launched by the PCB.

Many within Pakistan’s cricketing fraternity are baffled by this scheduling, particularly with the high-stakes England Test series looming. The decision to focus on a limited-overs tournament instead of gearing up for red-ball cricket has left former players, including Arafat, questioning the PCB’s priorities.

The criticism has only intensified following public remarks from the Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood, who admitted that many players in the squad had not participated in first-class cricket for over a year. Reacting to Masood’s statement, Arafat called the PCB’s decision to play one-day games in the lead-up to the England Tests “jokes.”

The people who are working are jokers, and their decisions are jokes: Yasir Arafat

Yasir Arafat said on the ‘Pak Passion’ YouTube channel: “This series is ending. Your grey areas have been highlighted. Fitness issues, technique issues, and pitches. Today I heard Jason Gillespie and the high-performance coach are going back to Australia. You are conducting an ODI tournament. These decisions I don't understand. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is a circus.”

Arafat further added, “There are jokers in that, and this is a joke. You have a Test series against England coming up, and you are bringing players for ODIs. Shan Masood is saying in a press conference that our players have not played first-class cricket for 1.5 years. You have a big series against England coming up, and you are playing ODIs. This looks like a circus to me. The people who are working are jokers, and their decisions are jokes.”

Yasir Arafat "Pakistan Cricket Board is a circus, the people working there are jokers and their decisions are jokes" #Cricket pic.twitter.com/fXJymVoVKe

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) September 6, 2024

We need experience and more red-ball games: Shan Masood

Earlier, Masood emphasized the importance of experience in Test cricket, pointing out that Bangladesh's team had several players with significant Test match exposure.

Shan Masood included Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, who have played between 70 and 90 Tests, while Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have also experienced close to 40 Tests each.

He stressed that Pakistan needs a similar level of red-ball experience to excel in the longer format, describing Test cricket as the ultimate challenge in the game.

Masood noted that playing more T20 cricket does not prepare players for the demands of Test matches. The skipper stressed that Pakistan's players must be given more opportunities to play red-ball cricket regularly to improve in the format.