Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has launched a withering critique of Pakistan's cricketing establishment following the national side's 0-2 Test series defeat against England, questioning player selection, coaching appointments, the domestic structure, and the absence of administrative accountability. The series loss — sealed by a 194-run defeat at Lord's — has triggered sweeping mid-series changes, including the release of seven players and the sacking of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.

The Depth of the Crisis, According to Kaneria

For Kaneria, the Lord's result is a symptom, not the disease. He argued that Pakistan cricket has lost its competitive identity over years of systemic neglect. 'It's a shame that after 70 years, Pakistan has gone through such a disaster. There is no logic, selection committee, or play. They are just good for nothing,' he said. 'If a person loses, he tries and fights before losing. The fight has to be visible. Here, there's no fight.'

He reserved particular criticism for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)'s handling of the captaincy, pointing to the repeated appointment and removal of Babar Azam as evidence of a rudderless administration. 'First you made Babar the captain, then removed him... then made him captain again. Now you are talking about removing him again. Your cricket won't improve like this,' Kaneria said.

Coaching Appointments and the Younis Khan Missed Opportunity

Kaneria expressed frustration at the brevity of Sarfaraz Ahmed's tenure as head coach, describing it as symptomatic of PCB's inability to commit to a plan. He recalled being encouraged when Younis Khan was linked with the chief selector's role, believing the former captain's knowledge and discipline could have made a difference — only for those talks to reportedly collapse over terms and conditions.

'You need to bring someone who can take losses and wins on himself. And Younis is such a person,' he said. He also criticised the revolving-door approach to support staff, arguing that coaches need at least a year to build systems and should be held accountable through structured performance reviews rather than sudden dismissals.

The Bowling Crisis and Tactical Naivety

Kaneria was blunt about the state of Pakistan's bowling attack, lamenting the absence of genuine pace and quality spin. He questioned the selection logic that saw experienced performers dropped while untested names were included. 'Mohammad Abbas has been playing county cricket in England for a long time. He has experience, and you drop him!' he said, noting that Abbas ultimately took nine wickets at Lord's, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings — a lone bright spot in an otherwise bleak series.

He was equally pointed about Pakistan's batting approach in English conditions, singling out Babar Azam's dismissal as emblematic of a failure to adapt. 'You can't hit a drive openly in England. There is seam and swing in England. You have to play square there. This is common sense,' he said. He also questioned Mohammad Rizwan's continued presence, describing both his keeping and batting form as below the required standard for Test cricket.

Domestic Structure: The Root Cause

Kaneria identified the dismantling of departmental cricket as the foundational error behind Pakistan's prolonged decline. He argued that replacing the department system — where employers funded teams and attracted the best players — with a regional structure increased quantity at the cost of quality. 'When the department destroyed cricket, made the players unemployed... you increased the quantity, but the quality of the players is not there at all. It's zero,' he said.

He contrasted this with the long-standing domestic frameworks in England (county cricket) and Australia (Sheffield Shield), which he said have remained structurally intact and continue to produce Test-ready players. He also cited the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s contractual requirement for players to participate in first-class cricket as a model worth emulating. He further pointed to Bangladesh's recent Test win in Australia as evidence that other nations have developed identifiable strengths while Pakistan has allowed its own fast-bowling and spin traditions to erode.

What Needs to Change

Kaneria's proposed reset is structural rather than cosmetic. He called for selectors to attend domestic matches in person to identify talent — rather than relying almost exclusively on Pakistan Super League (PSL) performances — and for the PCB to appoint an experienced, independent-minded head coach with a clear mandate and a defined assessment timeline. 'Bring in the coach, tell him we're giving you 1 year, you win or lose but we will take a report from you after a year. There'll be accountability then,' he said.

He also urged the board to identify a settled captain from domestic cricket and build a young squad around a small core of senior players, referencing the approach taken by Pakistan in the early 2000s under administrator General Tauqir Zia as a template. With Pakistan now preparing for the third Test at Birmingham under a reshaped coaching staff and with seven squad changes already made, the pressure on the board to demonstrate a credible long-term plan has never been greater.