"We will have to play qualifying rounds," says former cricketer on Pakistan's dismal performance

Former cricketer Basit Ali has expressed grave concerns about the future of Pakistan's cricket, stating that if the team continues its current dismal performance, it may soon be forced to participate in the ICC qualifying rounds to secure a spot in major tournaments.

Following the latest series loss, Basit Ali, while speaking on his YouTube channel, voiced his concerns about the future of Pakistan cricket. 

He believes that if corrective actions are not taken soon, the team will be forced to go through the qualifying rounds.

"If we don't make decisions and improve our base, we will have to play qualifying rounds. We lost all 10 wickets to pacers. Our top-order batters got out early. Talent has finished in Pakistan. Pakistan's cricket starts with Babar Azam's name and ends with it," Basit stated.

He also pinpointed a key moment in Pakistan's decline, tracing it back to their defeat in the Super Four stage of the 2023 Asia Cup against India.

In that match, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul hammered centuries, taking Pakistan's bowlers to task and setting up a dominant 228-run victory for India.

"The first match of the Asia Cup against India got washed out because of rain. The way Virat and Rahul hammered our bowlers, since then neither Pakistan's batting nor bowling has stabilised. In last year's T20 World Cup, we couldn't chase 119," he said.

Pakistan's recent struggles in international cricket have been clear, with their disappointing run continuing after a disastrous group-stage exit from the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

The 2017 Champions Trophy winners, who had hoped to defend their title, suffered consecutive defeats to New Zealand and India, ultimately seeing their hopes dashed in the group stage.

Following their Champions Trophy disappointment, Pakistan shifted focus to preparing for the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Shortly after the tournament, Pakistan embarked on a tour to New Zealand, where they faced five T20Is and three ODIs. 

Despite introducing new faces into the squad, Pakistan endured a 4-1 series defeat just months before the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

In the ODI series, Pakistan was outclassed, losing the opener and then suffering a crushing 84-run defeat, which allowed the New Zealand side to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.