Sohail Tanvir urges system continuity for Pakistan cricket’s success

Former Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir has stated that Pakistan cricket can reclaim its former success by identifying the underlying causes of its recent difficulties and maintaining consistency within its domestic cricket system.

Pakistan reached a golden era during Imran Khan’s captaincy, marked by strong competitive performances, notable bilateral series dominance, and the historic 1992 ICC ODI World Cup victory. However, in recent years, the team has encountered challenges in sustaining consistent performance.

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In 2026, Pakistan endured multiple Test defeats, including losses to Bangladesh by 104 runs and 78 runs in May, to the West Indies by 90 runs in July, and three consecutive defeats against England in August and September, losing by an innings and 103 runs, 194 runs, and eight wickets respectively.

Reflecting on the decline, Tanvir said, In my

Reflecting on the decline, Tanvir said, “In my opinion, look, every cricketing nation goes through phases. As you rightly pointed out in your question, the 90s were the best era for me as a cricketer–I was growing up as a kid during that time. We witnessed Pakistan producing legendary names, and every single one of them was a genuine match-winner. However, that doesn’t stay forever. As the saying goes, peak glory never lasts permanently.”

He added, “Right now, I feel that our players’ skill set is perhaps not as formidable as it used to be back in the day. But that doesn’t mean it won’t return. These are regular ups and downs in sport.”

Tanvir emphasised that the priority should be to diagnose and address the root causes of Pakistan’s decline. “I hope we can sort out the underlying causes and reasons behind this decline as quickly as possible. Once you accurately identify the reasons and actively work on addressing them, there is no reason why we cannot witness that peak glory once again,” he said.

When asked about the need for greater investment

When asked about the need for greater investment in domestic cricket, Tanvir concurred but stressed that maintaining continuity in the system was more important than merely increasing funding. “Agreed. But in my opinion, if we simply maintain continuity in our system, that is what’s truly vital. Every nation obviously invests, and we do too. If I look at the domestic facilities during our playing days, compared to that, today’s facilities are probably superior,” he noted.

Tanvir further explained that frequent changes to the domestic structure had caused instability, which he believes has significantly contributed to the current challenges faced by Pakistan cricket. “What matters most is system continuity. In our case, we have tinkered far too frequently with our domestic system. That instability, in my view, is the real reason behind the decline we are seeing today,” he added.

Tanvir, 41, has played 121 international matches across all formats, taking 130 wickets. In Tests, he has two matches with five wickets at an average of 100.80; in ODIs, he has taken 71 wickets from 62 matches at an average of 36.14, including one five-wicket haul; and in T20 Internationals, he has 54 wickets from 57 matches at an average of 26.92.

Source: thenewsmill.com