"Cricket Will Be Destroyed": Imran Khan's Verdict From Jail After Pakistan's Champions Trophy Exit

Pakistan's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan is upset with the performance of his country's cricket team in the ongoing Champions Trophy

Pakistan's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan is upset with the performance of his country's cricket team in the ongoing Champions Trophy, according to his sister Aleema Khan. Hosts Pakistan became the first team to exit the eight-team Champions Trophy after big losses to New Zealand in Karachi and India in Dubai. "The PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) founder expressed great sadness over losing the match against India," Aleema told the media outside Adiala Jail Rawalpindi after meeting Imran. The nation is justifiably angry. The cricket fraternity says Pakistan has hit rock bottom. How come a cricket team that was once #1 in T20s (2018) and Tests (2016) and ODIs (1990 and 1996), which won the WC in 1992 and CT in 2017, is today equated with Zimbabwe? The downfall…

Aleema said that the charismatic former cricketer, who led Pakistan to the 1992 World Cup title, also questioned the cricketing credentials of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

"Imran said cricket will be eventually destroyed when favourites are put in decision-making positions," said Aleema, adding that the cricketer-turned-politician watched the match between the arch-foes. 

Ex-PCB chairman Najam Sethi has indirectly blamed former Prime Minister Imran Khan for triggering the downslide of Pakistan cricket. In a post on X, Sethi whose last PCB stint was from December 2022 to June 2023, said the nation is justifiably angry at the performance of the national team. Champions Trophy hosts Pakistan are out of the tournament after back to back defeats.

“The cricket fraternity says Pakistan has hit rock bottom. How come a cricket team that was once no 1 in T20s (2018) and Tests (2016) and ODIs (1990 and 1996), which won the WC in 1992 and CT in 2017, is today equated with Zimbabwe?” According to Sethi, the downfall started in 2019 when a new management under a new PM/Patron (Imran Khan was prime minister at that time and had brought in Ehsan Mani as PCB chairman) changed the domestic cricket structure that had served Pakistan reasonably well for decades and replaced it with an ill-suited Australian hybrid model.