Statistics Reveal Pakistan’s Test Pacers as the World’s Least Effective

Islamabad, Sep 2: Pakistan’s fast bowlers have seen a marked decrease in both their overall performance and bowling pace over the last two years.

Pakistani pacers have significantly slowed down since 2022, averaging only 38.78 mph, in sharp contrast to their prior highs.
Concerns regarding the survival of Pakistan’s fast bowling legacy have been raised by the fact that their efficiency on the field has decreased along with their speed reduction.

The pacers from Pakistan have played in 17 Test matches in the past two years, taking 116 wickets between them.
Over the past two years, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah have suffered sporadic injuries that have impeded their development and slowed their pace.

Among the top nine Test-playing countries over the same time span, this is the lowest wicket total. It is concerning for a country that has historically produced some of the quickest and most fearsome bowlers in the world that both pace and wicket-taking abilities are declining.

There could be a number of causes behind this decline in performance, including as injuries, inadequate training, or even a change in emphasis towards limited-overs cricket, which frequently requires fast bowlers to possess various skill sets.

Regardless of the reason, Pakistan has a long history of fast bowling greats like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar, who were renowned for their lightning-quick pace and ability to take wickets. These figures pale in comparison.

It is imperative that Pakistan tackle the reduction in their fast-bowling performance if they hope to rebuild and recover their prominence in the Test arena.

The administration and coaching staff of the team will have to figure out how to get back the pace and potency that used to make Pakistan’s fast bowlers a dangerous force in the world of cricket.