Is this the worst Pakistan team ever?

In my opinion, yes this is the worst Pakistan team to visit India. They have been successful in erasing 24 years of winning record of Pakistan cricket team in India. It was in 1983 that Pakistan lost one-day series to India in India. This was a significant record that has been tattered by a group of talented but unmotivated players.

I have the following issues with this team:

1. Lack of fighting spirit: This team lacks the aggressive, fighting spirit that Pakistan team has always had. For example, in the recently concluded test match there was hardly a big batting partnership. No two players were able to consistently bat for a long period and set-up a big score. Pakistan team had opportunities to take control of the match on couple of occasions but they just did not fight it out.

2. In Awe of Indian Team: The above-mentioned issue can also be linked to the fact that this team seems to be in awe of the Indian team. At the beginning of the series, Shoaib Akhtar mentions clearly that Indian team is better and Pakistan does not have match winners. This is a not a winning attitude. Similarly if one listens to post-match comments by Pakistani players, one would notice the excessive appreciation of the opponent. If the team has already lost in the mind, how will it win on the field?

3. Leadership: Shoaib Malik has played in 21 tests, yes 21 test matches, and he is the captain of the side. Moreover he has not made any significant mark with bat or bowl till date. His batting average for test and one day are 35 and 34, His bowling average is 67 and 35 for tests and one-days. One cannot expect him to set-up an example for the team. Shoaib's performance with bat and bowl would always hinder his captaincy.

4. Selection: One glaring difference between the Indian and Pakistani side is the selection of players. While, off-late, Indian selectors have made the right choices; selection of Dhoni and Kumble as captains, removal of Dravid from one-day side, and inclusion of Laxman in the test side. On the other hand, Pakistani Board selected Shoaib Malik as the captain of both one-day and test match, stuck with Kamran Akmal despite his poor performance and that led to 4 dropped catches in one-day series and have not been able to come up with a stable opening pair.

The way things stand it appears that Pakistan cricket team will remain an average team and Pakistanis should get used to losing on the cricket field. Reminds me how India used to be few years back.