Former PCB chief selector points finger at ex-PM's revamp

Pakistan cricket's long slide in standards can be traced directly to the restructuring of the country's domestic game ordered during Imran Khan's time as Prime Minister, according to former Pakistan chief selector and head coach Haroon Rasheed.

Rasheed, who served on the task force formed to examine Pakistan's domestic structure under Khan's government, has revealed that the group recommended a hybrid model retaining departmental teams alongside a streamlined provincial system — only for the former World Cup-winning captain to reject it outright.

"I was part of the cricket board and task force and I remember when we met with Imran we submitted a hybrid domestic cricket model. But he rejected it outright," Rasheed said on the 'Smash It' sports channel.

Imran Khan, who captained Pakistan to the 1992 ODI World Cup, became Prime Minister in 2018 after his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party won the general elections, remaining in office until his ouster in 2022.

From 16 teams down to five

The overhaul reduced Pakistan's first-class structure from a system involving 10 to 16 teams to just five, modelled partly on Australia's domestic setup. Departmental cricket was removed entirely as provincial cricket became the central pillar of the game.

Rasheed said the task force had initially pressed for a compromise. "How much time do you think a Prime Minister can give? We were ordered to submit a revised domestic cricket plan and we did that and it was a hybrid one," he explained.

"I remember we told Imran that the hybrid model was best for our cricket as while we had reduced teams to eight but we had kept the participation of departmental teams in domestic cricket."

But Khan wanted a far more radical cut. "Imran in his short meeting with us rejected the hybrid model and said he didn't want eight but a maximum five to six teams in the domestic structure. We told him it would be better to gradually switch to a new domestic structure but eventually you have to listen to the Prime Minister," Rasheed recalled.

"He might have meant well but it didn't work out for Pakistan cricket."

Rasheed, who held multiple positions at the PCB before leaving in 2020 — including chief selector, head coach and head of high performance and development — said the change ultimately eroded the depth of Pakistan cricket.

"We changed the domestic structure making it provincial cricket and leaving out departments but I personally feel it was a wrong decision and it led to a downslide in our cricket standards," he said.

India's model held up as the alternative

Rasheed contrasted Pakistan's approach with India's domestic ecosystem, arguing that the sheer depth created by multiple competitions has underpinned India's rise.

"People talk about the IPL but forget that in India they still have the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and their state level associations are independent and have their own regular domestic events at club level," he said.

He believes Pakistan now needs to reverse the centralisation of its cricket administration. "In Pakistan now all powers are with the PCB which needs to decentralise power and give more independence to regional associations and departments as was the case in the past."

The comments arrive amid continuing debate over the state of Pakistan cricket, with former players and officials increasingly questioning the country's domestic pathway and administration.