Photograph: Paul Childs/ReutersSeptember 9, 2026 · The Guardian
Former Pakistan international Azhar Ali has expressed deep dismay regarding the national team's present struggles, noting that their current difficulties extend well beyond a disastrous recent week on their tour of England. Azhar was a key batter during a historic turnaround that saw the squad, captained by Misbah-ul-Haq, recover from the 2010 Lord's spot-fixing crisis to secure the world's top Test ranking by 2016, achieved despite being forced to stage home matches abroad due to domestic safety issues. Despite having witnessed the side successfully overcome past adversity to reach peak heights a decade ago, he now sees systemic problems that will take substantial time rather than a single year to resolve.