India, March 15 -- The era when Pakistan reigned as a cricketing powerhouse feels like a distant memory. During the 1980s and 1990s, legends such as Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Javed Miandad, and Saqlain Mushtaq struck fear into the hearts of international teams - particularly arch-rivals India. These players defined an era of dominance, but over time, cricket's prominence in Pakistan has steadily declined, and the evidence is unmistakable.

The national team's recent performances paint a grim picture of inconsistency. Early exits in the group stages of the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and now the Champions Trophy underscore this downward trend. A home Test series defeat to Banglade...