Pakistan Cricket 2025: Youth bring laurels as seniors remain deprived of titles
While Pakistan’s senior cricket team wrapped up 2025 without winning a major event trophy, the nation’s young stars stole the spotlight. Emerging talents showcased brilliance across formats, lifting silverware and giving fans a glimpse of a promising future.
The year proved that Pakistan’s cricketing hope increasingly rests with its youth.
A disastrous start
The year began on a sour note for Pakistan as the national team suffered a 2-0 whitewash at the hands of South Africa in the second Test of the series.
The defeat set an early tone of inconsistency and disappointment.
WTC heartbreak
Pakistan’s ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023–25 campaign ended on a damp note.
After drawing the final Test against West Indies — despite winning the opener — the Green Shirts finished at the bottom of the table with just five wins from 14 matches.
White-ball woes
The first limited-overs assignment of the year, a 50-over tri-series at home against New Zealand and South Africa, brought more frustration.
Pakistan reached the final but fell to an unbeaten New Zealand side, extending their streak of underwhelming performances.
Hosting with a twist
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 came to Pakistan, but the tournament had a sour subplot: India played all their matches at a neutral venue in Dubai, continuing the controversial “fusion formula” of avoiding tours between the two nations for three years.
Despite successfully hosting the event, Pakistan’s campaign was disappointing, with defeats to New Zealand and India, while rain washed out their clash against Bangladesh.
Down under disaster
The pain continued in New Zealand, where Pakistan endured a 4-1 T20I series defeat.
This was followed by a 3-0 ODI whitewash, extending their losing streak on foreign soil.
Shaheen’s side strikes gold: Lahore’s PSL treble
In a season that will be remembered for fireworks and fearless cricket, the Lahore Qalandars etched their name deeper into PSL history.
Led by the ever-charismatic Afridi, the Qalandars have now played four PSL finals—and emerged victorious three times, joining Islamabad United as the only teams to claim the title thrice.
The grand finale saw a high-octane clash against Quetta Gladiators, where Shaheen of the Lahore side lit up the scoreboard.
Sikandar Raza dazzled with an all-round masterclass, while Kusal Perera’s match-winning fifty left the Gladiators reeling.
A glimmer of hope at home
Pakistan finally struck back on home turf, whitewashing Bangladesh 3-0 in a T20I series.
But the reprieve was short-lived; in the return series in Bangladesh, the hosts exacted revenge with a 2-1 series win.
Evening out with West Indies
Pakistan and the West Indies shared spoils in dual encounters.
The Green Shirts claimed a 2-1 T20I series win, only to see the Caribbean team retaliate with a 2-1 ODI series victory.
Tri-series triumphs
Confidence returned as Pakistan dominated back-to-back T20 tri-series against the UAE and Afghanistan.
Salman Agha’s side capped it off by defeating Afghanistan in a low-scoring final to claim the crown.
Asia Cup 2025 agony
The ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 belonged to India, who swept Pakistan in all three encounters, including the group-stage clash, Super Four, and grand finale.
The tournament was marred by controversy, from handshake snubs to questionable sportsmanship, and even saw India bypass the ceremonial trophy handover to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
Handshake drama and trophy dilemmas: Pakistan-India 2025
The sportsmanship saga between India and Pakistan extended beyond the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025, marking a series of high-profile controversies in cricket.
The tension began in the group-stage clash of the Asia Cup, continued through the Super Four, and culminated in the final, where India defeated Pakistan but chose not to personally accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman and ACC president.
Similar incidents were reported in the Women’s World Cup clash between the two sides and the Hong Kong Super Sixes, major ACC events where handshakes and courtesies were allegedly ignored.
The tensions escalated further when India boycotted playing against Pakistan in the second season of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), refusing to face them in both the group stage and the semifinal.
While India’s on-field performances remained strong, their repeated off-field snubs sparked criticism across media and fan forums, raising questions about the balance between competitive rivalry and basic sportsmanship in cricket.
Leadership shift: From Rizwan to Shaheen
2025 saw Pakistan cricket witness a dramatic shuffle in their white-ball leadership.
The year’s only major captaincy change came when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to relieve wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan of his ODI duties, handing the reins to pacer Shaheen Afridi.
The decision, finalised during an Islamabad meeting between white-ball coach Mike Hesson, Director of High-Performance Aqib Javed, and the selection committee on October 20, aimed to inject fresh energy into the fifty-over squad.
Shaheen, no stranger to captaincy, had previously led Pakistan in T20Is during the New Zealand tour of January 2024.
However, following a 4-1 series defeat to the Blackcaps, he was replaced by Babar Azam, who commanded the side through last year’s T20 World Cup.
Rizwan, who led Pakistan in 20 ODIs with nine wins, had a mixed tenure marked by struggles in T20Is.
The T20 captaincy baton now passes to all-rounder Salman Ali Agha, as Pakistan looks to regroup ahead of their New Zealand tour, closing 2025 with a fresh leadership outlook and hopes for a brighter white-ball future.
Pakistan’s WTC campaign kicks off with highs and lows
The Green Shirts found form in the WTC 2025–27 opener, beating defending champions South Africa in the first Test.
Redemption at home against South Africa
South Africa bounced back to level the series.
But Pakistan found solace in the white-ball formats, with newly appointed ODI captain Shaheen Afridi leading the team to series wins in both T20Is and ODIs (2-1 each).
The year ended on a high as Pakistan whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0 in the final ODI series under Shaheen’s leadership.
The series win marked back-to-back 50-over series wins.
Another T20I tri-series triumph
Pakistan closed 2025 on a victorious note, defeating Sri Lanka in the low-scoring final of a T20 tri-series.
The series also featured Zimbabwe (who replaced Afghanistan).
Pakistan’s youth take 2025 by storm
While Pakistan’s senior team struggled to find silverware in 2025, the juniors stepped up and stole the spotlight, proving that the future is bright for Green Shirts.
From nail-biting finishes to historic victories, Pakistan’s rising stars claimed three major titles this year.
Hong Kong Super Sixes glory
Pakistan added another feather to their cap by winning the Hong Kong Super Sixes, dropping only one match in the group stage (a rain-affected loss to India).
The final against Kuwait saw the juniors dominate, lifting the title for the first time and cementing their rise on the international stage.
Asia Cup Rising Stars: unbeaten and unbowed
In the inaugural ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, Pakistan went unbeaten, including a thrilling group-stage win over arch-rivals India.
The final against Bangladesh turned into a tense low-scoring showdown.
After a drawn match, a super over decided the champions, and Pakistan chased down seven runs in just three deliveries, lifting the trophy in dramatic fashion.
Historic U19 Asia Cup Triumph
Pakistan’s under-19 team made history, clinching their first-ever U19 Asia Cup title.
In a high-scoring clash against India, the Green Shirts produced a masterclass reminiscent of the 2017 Champions Trophy.
The team set a massive total and bowled India out for a low score, securing a memorable victory for the nation.
2025 was a year of contrasts for Pakistan cricket—setbacks at the senior level were offset by junior triumphs and home-ground dominance. The year may have ended with mixed emotions, but the rising generation promises a brighter 2026.
A season of struggles for Pakistan Women
The year 2025 proved to be a stern examination for Pakistan’s women’s cricket team — a season defined more by missed opportunities and harsh lessons than by sustained success.
While there were flashes of promise, consistency remained elusive as the Women in Green navigated a calendar filled with contrasting fortunes across formats and conditions.
Pakistan’s flawless World Cup Qualifier run
The campaign began on an emphatically positive note in April, when Pakistan hosted the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Lahore.
Playing in familiar conditions, the Green Shirts produced a dominant run, registering seven consecutive victories to underline their credentials.
Pakistan comfortably brushed aside Thailand, West Indies, Ireland, Scotland and Bangladesh, stamping their authority and raising hopes of a breakthrough year ahead.
The qualifiers showcased discipline with the ball and composure with the bat — traits that briefly suggested a team on the rise.
However, momentum soon slipped away once the international season gathered pace.
Ireland spring a surprise
August brought an unexpected setback when Pakistan toured Ireland for a three-match T20I series.
The hosts outplayed the visitors to clinch the series 2-1, exposing Pakistan’s struggles in adapting to foreign conditions.
The defeat also allowed Ireland to improve their head-to-head record against Pakistan. Across 22 T20I meetings between the sides, Ireland now boast six wins, while Pakistan continue to hold the upper hand with 16 victories.
Still, the series loss served as a reminder that the gap between the two teams is steadily narrowing.
Further disappointment followed at home when South Africa visited Lahore for a three-match ODI series.
Pakistan showed fight, particularly while defending totals, but the Proteas’ experience ultimately proved decisive as they sealed the series 2-1.
Despite Pakistan claiming one victory, South Africa’s success further extended their dominance in the format, taking their ODI head-to-head tally against Pakistan to 21 wins, compared to 11 for the Women in Green.
World Cup woes and rain frustration
Pakistan’s most challenging chapter of the year unfolded at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan’s matches scheduled in Colombo.
The campaign was marred by inconsistency and relentless rain. Of their fixtures, three were washed out, while Pakistan suffered four defeats — leaving them winless and frustrated.
Their tournament began with a low-scoring loss to Bangladesh, setting a difficult tone.
Against arch-rivals India, Pakistan produced a spirited bowling display, dismissing India for the first time in Women’s World Cup history, but failed to capitalise as India successfully defended their total.
Australia then asserted their dominance, with Beth Mooney’s sublime century and a fiery bowling performance handing Pakistan their third straight defeat.
Back-to-back fixtures against England and New Zealand were abandoned due to rain, further derailing Pakistan’s rhythm.
Their final completed match ended in defeat against South Africa in a high-scoring contest, before rain once again had the final say as their clash against Sri Lanka was washed out.
As the year drew to a close, Pakistan’s women exited 2025 searching for answers.
The season offered valuable lessons — about adaptability, depth and resilience — but also highlighted areas demanding urgent attention.
For the Women in Green, the challenge now lies in transforming hard-earned experience into renewed belief as they look ahead to a fresh start.
Looking ahead, 2025 stood as a year of contrasts, but Pakistan’s cricketing story is far from finished.
As a new generation of fearless talent continues to rise, fueled by resilience and renewed ambition, the Green Shirts are laying the foundations for a stronger tomorrow.
With belief rebuilding and hunger growing, Pakistan’s quest to reclaim its place among cricket’s elite is only just beginning.
Originally published in Geo Super
