All is not going well in Pakistan cricket following the team’s first of its kinds series loss to Bangladesh earlier this month. Bangladesh, against all odds, clean swept Pakistan 2-0 in Rawalpindi to register their first ever Test match and series wins against the Shan Masood-led side. Following the disappointing loss, former spinner Danish Kaneria has launched a scathing attack on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Kaneria, who played 61 Tests for Pakistan, called out the PCB for the backbiting culture in Pakistan cricket.

“Everything is taken for granted; that’s why the downfall of Pakistan cricket has gone through making captains, changing captain. That will not work. Stick to your captain stick with him. Okay, I have made him the captain for one year. I will ask him. I will ask him to give me an answer after one year. Nobody will touch him you have full support from me, but you need to perform. If you don’t perform, you go out, so that’s the thing you have to make tough decisions. Why, if you don’t make tough decisions, things will not work,” Kaneria told Republic TV.

In contrast, Kaneria hailed Indian cricket for creating an environment of smooth transition whenever there’s a change in guard. Kaneria also praised current India head coach Gautam Gambhir for oozing positive attitude and strong personality, something which Pakistan has been lacking in its recent coaching staff.

“Why today other teams are doing so well Why is the Indian team is doing so well? They had a Rahul Dravid who worked with the team very well now they have Gautam Gambhir, a fantastic cricketer and fantastic guy. The way he reacts, he tells on the face. He doesn’t go back and do backbiting; he’s on the face straight away. This is how you have to be. You have to be strong, and like a strong person, you have to make the decision on the face, not at the back,” he added.

Pakistan will now take on England in a three-match Test series next month. If the reports are to be believed, the team might undergo huge changes heading into the series.

There has been comparisons between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam for quite some time now and it is one of the debates that still remain quite popular among the cricket fans. While both batters had their fair share of ups and downs, the conversation over who is the better batter continues to rage even today. However, former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria believes that there is no comparison between the two players and he thinks that Virat is clearly the superior player. In an interview with Sports Tak, Kaneria said that people should look at both of their records and it clearly shows that Virat is the better better.

“Who is comparing them? I am tired of hearing that people compare them. When you’re talking about comparing, look at the runs Virat has scored. He has scored runs all around the world. He is a massive player,” Kaneria said.

Kaneria also said that the presence of Kohli is enough to have an impact on the field – something that Babar is currently missing. He added that the comparisons were mainly created by the media.

“Look at his stature, when he walks onto the field, his aura itself is different and he (Babar) does not come close, forget comparing them. All that is created by the channels to sell their product. I have had a lot of questions comparing them, but I have never done it. Look at the stats. When both of them retire, do take a look at the stats,” he mentioned.

Meanwhile, Kaneria said that India should not travel to Pakistan for the competition and insisted that Dubai will be the better venue.

“Looking at the situation in Pakistan, I have to say that the Indian team should not go to Pakistan, and Pakistan should think about it, and then the ICC will make its decision, and most likely, it will be a hybrid model, it will played in Dubai. The media gets hype, everyone’s videos get likes because the big manjan is good so it will sell. So I think this is a reality and it will definitely be a hybrid model,” he said.

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria slammed Wasim Akram and other ex-Pakistan cricketers who criticised the current Pakistan team. Kaneria said that instead of criticising from the outside, Akram and other cricketers should instead come and help the side. Pakistan were knocked out of the 2024 T20 World Cup at the group stage, after losses to India and the USA. Kaneria’s reaction comes after Wasim Akram had put out a public rant on social media, demanding a new team be formed for Pakistan.

“Wasim Akram and other people can only preach from the outside. Why don’t they come help the Pakistan side?” asked Kaneria. “Why did Wasim Akram not pose the question about Mohammad Amir‘s selection immediately?” Kaneria told Sports Now.

“Shoaib Malik is a better player than these guys (the current squad),” he added.

The former leg-spinner said that Pakistan’s preparations leading up to the 2024 T20 World Cup had not been up to the mark. He raised special concern over the selections of Mohammad Amir and Azam Khan.

“They (Pakistan) should’ve picked 20-22 players in the camp, and then picked the best 15,” said Kaneria. “Where were Mohammad Amir and Azam Khan six months ago?” blasted Kaneria.

Kaneria slammed the Pakistan team’s management of not being able to make firm decisions.

“They will wake up in the morning and say one thing, and then take a U-turn in the evening. They’re the masters of the U-turn,” said Kaneria.

“They’re egoistic and think they cannot make mistakes,” he added.

Kaneria also criticised the decision to hand back captaincy to Babar Azam, and suggested that he should bat at no. 3 in T20Is, letting Fakhar Zaman open the innings with Mohammad Rizwan.

Babar Azam scored 122 runs in four matches at the 2024 T20 World Cup, but at a strike rate of just 101.

Pakistan’s T20 World Cup is over even before the group stage matches of the marquee event is over. Two losses to India and USA ensured that the Babar Azam-led Pakistan exit from the group stages of the T20 World Cup 2024. Pakistan entered the T20 World Cup as runner-up of the 2022 edition but are exiting the current edition after one of the worst ever shows. Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria opened up on the impact of the exit in Pakistan cricket. “It’s a shameful thing in the history of Pakistan cricket. You know it already; apart from cricket, these people have doomed every other sport. If you play with players’ careers, then you have to face the repercussions”, Kaneria told Sports Now.

“There are tons of players who have been making headlines with their performances but are not getting a chance to play for the national team. Players like Ahmed Jamal, and Shahnawaz Dahani who performed well are not getting opportunities. Muhammad Hasnain who was bowling well has been disappeared by these people. Batters like Kamran Ghulam, and Sahibzada Farhan have been constantly scoring loads of runs in the domestic circuit, where are these guys?” he added.

Kaneria also spoke about the appointment of Gary Kirsten, coach of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team,  as the Pakistan cricket team coach.

“Sometimes ago, you decided to bring in a new coach, Gary Kirsten who helped India win the World Cup and cannot do wonders in just a few months. He is not a magician. In Pakistan cricket, politics is everything.

Gary will need a lot of time to understand the politics and accordingly, he will start working,” he said.

“You are going to play the World Cup despite knowing the fact that it’s in the USA, we have never played cricket here, and it requires a lot of time to get used to the conditions. Knowing all of that, Pakistan cricket went on to play England and Ireland where conditions are different in comparison to the USA. Still, you have the guts to refuse to play in warm-up games in the United States. Then you select the useless team and repeatedly depend on Babar-Rizwan, Babar-Rizwan, what is this? Till

when we will tolerate these names. Whenever any major tournaments come, they fail to create that impact. They only score runs against teams like Zimbabwe, and Ireland, and then they start comparing Babar Azam with Virat Kohli.”