Former captain points to broken domestic system as root cause of struggles

Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali has pinned the blame for the national side's recent struggles in Test cricket on the decline of departmental cricket, describing the system as a vital "nursery" that has been allowed to wither.

Azhar, who represented Pakistan in nine Tests and 31 ODIs, warned that the country is repeating past mistakes by weakening a structure that historically produced and sustained its best players. "Department cricket is a big need for Pakistan," Azhar told Cricinfo. He argued that shutting down the system had hurt the development of Pakistani cricket and that its return has not been given the attention it deserves.

PCB's latest restructure draws criticism

The Pakistan Cricket Board recently removed WAPDA and Sahir Associates from the 2026-27 domestic season after the teams failed to meet new regulations. WAPDA had been one of the country's longest-running domestic sides, and its removal has fueled concerns about the direction of the domestic game.

Azhar also took aim at the PCB for the constant churn in its domestic structure rather than allowing a system time to bear fruit. "The first thing I'd do is to give any system we implement a few years. If you change every year, then you were either wrong last year, or you're wrong now," he said.

Financial security, not desire, is the missing piece

The former captain stressed that Pakistan has no shortage of youngsters eager to play the game — but many families simply cannot afford for them to pursue it without support. "Desire to play is not a problem [in Pakistan]," Azhar said.

Having come through the departmental ranks himself, Azhar said those teams offered salaries even when regional sides overlooked players, giving cricketers the chance to keep chasing the sport. "I was moulded in department cricket, as so many others have been," he said.

He cautioned that unless cricket is financially viable for young players — especially those who need to support their families — talent will slip away. "It's easy to say, reduce the teams in domestic cricket. But if you're not getting financially rewarded for it, how many kids will be able to afford to take up cricket?" Azhar said. Without such backing, he warned, gifted youngsters could abandon the game or leave Pakistan in search of better opportunities.