The Pakistan Cricket Slump Suggests a Long-Lasting Slide

In the commentary box, as Ravi Shastri highlighted former Pakistan star Inzamam-ul-Haq's woeful running between the wickets after his nephew Imam-ul-Haq was run out in the Champions Trophy defeat to India in Dubai, adding that poor running "runs in the family," Sunil Gavaskar, with Wasim Akram next to him, joked that it wasn't a right assessment as "the family can't run."

- Somshuvra Laha

KOLKATA:

On a post-match analysis show in Pakistan, their past stalwarts too were caustic. Shoaib Malik sang an old film hit "dil ke arman ansuon men bah gaye" (tears have washed away heart's desire), struggling for words to explain Pakistan's timid show in the six-wicket loss. Giving up on a "brainless and clueless management," Shoaib Akhtar focused on praising Virat Kohli on his YouTube channel. On another TV show, Waqar Younis lamented the lack of discipline in their game.

Pakistan cricket is scraping the bottom. Home pitches are being overhauled to promote pace over spin in red-ball cricket. Barring the 2017 Champions Trophy, they haven't won anything in white-ball cricket since the 2009 T20 World Cup. They didn't even make the semis of the last three ODI World Cups. Once redoubtable stars, Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have seen better days.