Pakistan cricket has struggled in recent years, underperforming in all formats. Under Babar Azam’s captaincy, Pakistan failed to reach the semifinals of the ODI World Cup 2023 and suffered their first international defeat against Afghanistan in the league stage. Babar and Co. also had a forgettable T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, losing their opening match to non-Test-playing nation USA. Meanwhile, their misery was compounded by the recent loss to Bangladesh in the Rawalpindi Test.

Pakistan’s cricketers and their management are under intense scrutiny, with several senior cricketers criticising their performances and saying they need a complete overhaul.

Former pacer Mohammad Asif minced his words as he slammed the Pakistan team and predicted that they would suffer another defeat against the USA in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

“We lost to the USA, who are participating in the T20 World Cup for the first time. They didn’t even qualify, they played because they were the hosts. The way the situation is right now, the USA will beat Pakistan in the next World Cup in 2026. I guarantee you that,” Asif said on the YouTube podcast “The Nakash Khan Show.”

Pakistan suffered an embarrassing defeat to USA in the Super Over of the T20 World Cup, which gave them a big scare. In the next match, they could not beat the Indian team and were eventually eliminated from the group stage.

“Pakistan must change the captain, the coach and the players”

Asif further said that the Pakistan team needs major changes in its line-up, including the captain and coach, ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

“Before the 2026 World Cup, we have to change the captain, the coach and the players. There has to be a plan for the two years in which we want to work with this team and these 20 players. But we keep repeating the same things, that’s why I’m telling you this,” Asif stressed.

“If countries like India and South Africa make progress in the next two years, we will still be in the same place,” he added.