On August 20, 2025, Pakistan cricket came under renewed scrutiny after suffering a 2-1 ODI series defeat against the West Indies, a result that also triggered a decline in the national side’s ICC rankings across formats.
The West Indies sealed their first bilateral ODI series win over Pakistan since 1991, crushing the visitors by 202 runs in the decider at Tarouba on August 12. The heavy loss, coupled with the series defeat, deepened concerns about Pakistan’s overall direction and standards. The national team has now slipped to eighth in the ICC T20I rankings and seventh in Tests, highlighting a wider slump in performance. Pakistan’s last major ICC trophy remains the 2017 Champions Trophy at The Oval.
Selection and contract decisions have further fueled the debate. On August 17, selectors announced the Asia Cup T20I squad, leaving out former captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan in favor of a revamped batting lineup under Salman Ali Agha. The decision drew a mixed response from fans and ex-players.
Adding to the controversy, the PCB unveiled its 2025–26 central contracts on August 19, with no players named in Category A. Surprisingly, Test captain Shan Masood was placed in Category D, while Test performers Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Saud Shakeel were slotted in Category C.
Former skipper Mohammad Hafeez strongly criticized the decisions, writing on X:
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“No A category player in Pakistan cricket. Test captain in D category. Test match & series winners like Sajid Khan, Noman Ali & Saud Shakeel are in C category… Less importance to Test cricket & 1st class cricket is the biggest reason of recent downfall.”
The developments have intensified pressure on the PCB’s selection policies, with critics warning that Pakistan cricket’s decline could deepen further unless structural issues are addressed.