Pakistan's 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan was blamed for the decline of the sport in the country after an embarrassing group stage exit from the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is the first ICC tournament the country is hosting after 29 years.

The Mohammad Rizwan-led side crashed out of the competition just five days after it started. The defending champions lost the tournament opener to New Zealand by 60 runs at Karachi. Later, they were beaten by arch-rivals India by six wickets in Dubai.

Ex-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi blamed the decision of the new management at PCB appointed by Imran became the country's Prime Minister. The cricket-turned-politician served in office from August 2018 to April 2022. It is worth noting that Pakistan's PM is the PCB's Patron-In-Chief

Almost immediately after Imran was elected as PM, Ehsan Mani took charge as PCB chairman. Later, Ramiz Raja took charge of the top job in 2021.

Sethi claimed Pakistan changed their domestic structure, which had worked well for years and copied Australia's hybrid model.

"The nation is justifiably angry. The cricket fraternity says Pakistan has hit rock bottom. How come a cricket team that was once #1 in T20s (2018) and Tests (2016) and ODIs (1990 and 1996), which won the WC in 1992 and CT in 2017, is today equated with Zimbabwe?

The downfall started in 2019 when a new management under a new PM/Patron changed the domestic cricket structure that had served Pakistan reasonably well for decades and replaced it with an ill-suited Australian hybrid model. Political interference continued; contradictory PCB policies became the norm— foreign coaches were hired and sent packing, selectors were whimsically nominated, old discards were recruited to mentor and manage," wrote Sethi on X.

"Finally, player power, clash of captain egos and groupings in the team came to prevail over fumbling managements! The horrible result is before us. We can certainly restore our cricket fortunes if we recognise the nature of the problems and marshal the integrity, experience, knowledge and professionalism required to do the job," Sethi added.

Sethi served as PCB chairman on two different occasions. He was at the helm of affairs from June 2013 to January 2014. Later, he took charge once again from December 2022 to June 2023.

Talking about Imran, he has been behind bars since August 2023 after being charged in multiple cases. The ex-Pakistan skipper is widely regarded among the greatest all-rounders and captains in the history of the sport.

The early exit in the 2025 Champions Trophy is the third successive ICC tournament in which Pakistan has been knocked out in the first round after the 2023 World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Cricket, Sports and around the world.