If you’ve blinked during a Pakistan T20I match since the start of 2024, chances are you’ve missed a new debutant.
In what can only be described as a selection whirlwind, Pakistan has introduced a staggering 38 players in just 33 T20 Internationals since the start of 2024 — more than any other cricketing nation in the same period.
Add to that 10 different opening pairs, and the picture becomes clear: the team is in a relentless state of experimentation, desperately searching for the right combination with less than a year left until the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup.
But amid all this chopping and changing, one thing remains worryingly absent — clarity.
An Assembly Line of Debutants
Let’s put things into perspective.
- Pakistan: 38 debutants in 33 T20Is
- India: 35 debutants in 31 matches
- South Africa: 31 in 23 games
- New Zealand: 30 in 27 games
- Bangladesh: Only 22 in 28 matches
While other nations are trying out new players, no one’s doing it at the speed, or scale, that Pakistan is.
At first glance, this might look like depth-building. Maybe it’s a bold strategy to prepare for the 2026 T20 World Cup. But dig a little deeper, and it starts to look like something else: an identity crisis.
Opening Pair? Still Searching
The musical chairs don’t stop with debutants. Since the beginning of 2024, Pakistan has changed its T20I opening pair ten times.
In a format where stability at the top is crucial, this constant chopping and changing signals a team still in search of its ideal combination, just months before a World Cup.
One game it’s Babar and Saim. The next, Rizwan walks in with Ayub. Then Fakhar gets a shot. And just when you think someone’s nailed down a spot, a new face is tried out again.
There’s experimentation — and then there’s uncertainty. This feels dangerously close to the latter.
A World Cup Is Not the Time to Gamble
The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is just under nine months away. Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, it kicks off on February 8. That’s not far at all in cricketing terms.
You’d expect teams to be locking down their combinations by now. Settling their core. Fine-tuning roles.
But Pakistan? Still flipping through a thick manual titled “Trial & Error.”
Too Many Cooks or Recipe for Success?
Pakistan has never been short of talent. The bench strength is rich, especially in the fast bowling department. Youngsters keep coming through the domestic circuit and PSL. Giving them opportunities isn’t wrong.
But excessive shuffling can backfire. Chemistry takes time. Understanding between players takes matches, not nets, to build. T20 cricket is fast, sure. But building a cohesive team? That takes patience and consistency.
Pakistan risks heading into yet another global tournament with a squad still unsure of its roles — and a management team making last-minute changes that hurt more than help.
It’s high time the selectors and management draw a line. Yes, rotate players. Yes, reward form. But it’s crucial to finalise a pool of 15-20 players who will likely feature in the World Cup — and let them gel.
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