Pakistan’s national cricket team ended a troubling three-year winless streak at home, triumphing over England in Rawalpindi by 9 wickets in the series-deciding third Test to secure a 2-1 victory.

This victory, Pakistan's first on home soil since February 2021, brought much-needed relief to a team that had been on an 11-match losing streak.

However, the path forward remains fraught with challenges, not just on the field but in preparation for hosting the prestigious ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.

After suffering an innings defeat in the first Test in Multan, Pakistan's cricket management shifted its approach, emphasising a spin-heavy strategy to exploit home conditions. This shift proved successful with spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali returning to the squad and playing pivotal roles. "Spinners didn’t need to do much in Multan; the pitch did everything,” one of the bowlers commented.

Batsmen Kamran Ghulam and Saud Shakeel also contributed vital innings, helping Pakistan reclaim momentum and ultimately clinch the series. Yet, the reliance on spin-friendly pitches may prove unsustainable, and questions remain about the team’s adaptability to different conditions.

Immediate Challenges:
Australia Tour:

Pakistan’s next challenge is a rigorous tour of Australia, where they will face one of the strongest white-ball teams in both ODIs and T20Is. Mohammad Rizwan, newly-appointed white-ball captain, has taken charge after Babar Azam stepped down to concentrate on his batting. Rizwan, known for his leadership qualities, has pledged to unite the team and lead by example. His captaincy tenure begins with a three-match ODI series tomorrow.

To further enhance strategic alignment, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has deployed selector Asad Shafiq to Australia, where he will assess conditions to assist with team selection.

The coaching staff has also seen changes, with Test head coach Jason Gillespie stepping in temporarily as white-ball head coach following Gary Kirsten’s departure. The PCB hopes these tactical adjustments will help Pakistan compete effectively on Australia’s challenging pitches.

Preparing for the Champions Trophy 2025:

Looking further ahead, Pakistan’s cricket infrastructure is under pressure to meet the rigorous demands of hosting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. This will be Pakistan's first major ICC event on home soil since 1996, and the PCB is working intensively to ensure that the event showcases Pakistan’s passion and capabilities to a global audience. One significant challenge is the completion of stadium upgrades to meet international standards. Delays in this critical area could result in an embarrassing setback, putting Pakistan’s cricket reputation on the line.

Another pressing issue is the participation of the Indian cricket team. Geopolitical tensions have complicated bilateral cricket relations, and if India refuse to participate in the tournament, the PCB might be forced to shift part of the event to a neutral venue. Such an arrangement would not only complicate logistics but could also diminish the excitement and stature of the event in Pakistan. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is in active discussions with relevant authorities, aiming to facilitate India’s participation and avoid the potential disruption of a split-venue event.

Broader Issues: The Need for a Balanced Strategy:

While the win against England demonstrated Pakistan’s ability to exploit home advantage, relying solely on spin-friendly pitches is a short-sighted strategy. A more forward-thinking approach is essential for Pakistan to perform consistently across different conditions, especially on away tours. To remain competitive internationally, Pakistan must build a balanced squad that incorporates both seamers and spinners, alongside top batsmen like Babar Azam who can anchor the team.

A robust domestic cricket structure is equally vital. Pakistan requires reliable backups for all key players, which can only be achieved through strong domestic leagues that produce a steady flow of talent. The PCB must also develop the resilience to handle constructive criticism. Transparent discussions and an openness to feedback are crucial if we are to build a team that can sustain success on the global stage.

Lastly one thing, which have been repeated time and again and which everyone at the helm of affairs in PCB till recently is not taking serious, is that Pakistan has a weak domestic cricket structure at the moment which is based on non-independent cricket associations which has brought into existence many dummy clubs across the country.

Unless and until the country’s cricket governing body does not have a proper, reliable and independent domestic structure/system, it can’t raise a world class team.

Australia, England and for that matter India too have strong and properly elected independent cricket bodies and their units which work independently and fairly for the development of the game.

Perhaps that is why the standard of Shield Cricket in Australia and Ranji Trophy and other tournaments in India is almost close to international standard.

But here in Pakistan the standard of Quaid-e- Azam Trophy, Patron’s/ President’s Trophy and that of other tournaments remains poor. The reason is that the associations are not elected independently and fairly. Players selected for the national events are not picked on merit. Many talented and deserving players are ignored and those picked for the national events belong to those who are controlling the associations and may have won the elections because of bogus clubs.