Ramiz Raja: A Crow Tries To become Swan

Ramiz Raja: A Case of Chasing the Wrong Formula

Home Ground Advantage—or Not?

After 3.5 years, Pakistan has finally won a Test series on its home ground, this time against England—a remarkable feat considering the difficult start of losing the first Test in Multan. Since Test cricket returned to Pakistan, winning at home had almost become a distant memory. Even on pitches where Pakistan was historically unbeatable, losses kept mounting. Bangladesh came and left with a clean sweep against Pakistan, leading to widespread skepticism about frequent captain changes and the management’s approach, nearly affecting the fate of players like Shan Masood. It seemed that the real issue went unaddressed.

 

At last, however, after enduring failures for 3.5 years, Pakistan Cricket Management has made a 180-degree shift, restoring the pitch conditions to their traditional state. England, which had previously reached towering totals of 800, struggled to even cross the triple-digit mark. This left even cricket icons like Brendon McCullum and Michael Atherton amazed, remarking, "It took Pakistan 3.5 years to figure this out?"

 

The Decline of Pakistan's Home Advantage

Before Test cricket’s hiatus in Pakistan, the last home series was played against Sri Lanka in 2009. Both games were drawn, and then a decade passed before Test cricket returned in 2019, once again with Sri Lanka. Pakistan drew the first game and won the second to secure the series. In 2020, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Early 2021 saw South Africa come to Pakistan, where Pakistan triumphed in Karachi and Rawalpindi.

 

Then came the turning point in September 2021 when Ramiz Raja became PCB Chairman, ushering in the era of green pitches—a tactic that quickly backfired. Raja’s choice to tailor pitches to unfamiliar conditions for Pakistan, much like attempting to grow pomegranates in the heat of Multan, derailed Pakistan’s home advantage. The following year, Pakistan's home ground record began to falter:

 

| Opponent       | Year | Winner | Result |

|--------------------|----------|------------|------------|

| Australia          | 2022     | Australia | 1-0 (3)    |

| England            | 2022     | England    | 3-0 (3)    |

| New Zealand        | 2023     | Drawn      | 0-0 (2)    |

| Bangladesh         | 2024     | Bangladesh | 2-0 (2)    |

| England            | 2024     | Pakistan   | 2-1 (3)    |

 

Australia won their 2022 series, and England dominated later that year with a 3-0 sweep. Pakistan managed to draw with New Zealand in 2023, only to suffer a historic whitewash by Bangladesh in 2024. Later that year, Pakistan became the first team to lose after scoring 500 runs at home, while England scored an unprecedented 800 runs against Pakistan. Amid this losing streak, Pakistan tried everything, from playing with four fast bowlers and no spinner—a decision unheard of in 28 years—to continuously changing captains. Still, victory eluded them. In these 10 matches, Pakistan failed to secure a single win. Ramiz Raja’s experiment yielded no success and proved disastrous for Pakistan's Test cricket at home.

 

Learning from International Strategies

Globally, teams leverage home conditions for an advantage. Australia, for instance, often opens Test series against Asian teams at Perth, where the high bounce proves challenging for players accustomed to low-bounce pitches. This strategy has contributed to Pakistan’s poor record in Australia, with only four Test wins in 39 matches, and no series victory.

 

| Pakistan's Record in Australia |

|------------------------------------|

| Total Tours: 12               |

| Series Wins: 0                |

| Series Draws: 1 (1976-77)     |

| Test Matches Played: 39       |

| Wins: 4                       |

| Losses: 28                    |

| Draws: 7                      |

 

India exemplifies how to maximise home ground advantage. From February 2013 to October 2024, they won 18 consecutive Test series on home soil. Pakistan could certainly learn from its neighbours and their strategic use of home conditions.

 

Ramiz Raja’s green-pitch experiment only reminds one of the sayings, “the crow tried to walk like a swan and forgot his own gait.” But thankfully, after 3.5 years of missteps, Pakistan Cricket Management has finally come to its senses. Better late than never.