'That damaged us a lot': Mohammad Yousuf blames 2021 World Cup win over India for Pakistan’s fiasco

In a scathing critique of the national team's trajectory, former batting icon Mohammad Yousuf has pinpointed Pakistan’s landmark 10-wicket triumph over India at the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai as the exact catalyst for their recent fiasco.

His comments follow Pakistan's back-to-back Test defeats on their tour of England, which prompted a sweeping overhaul by the PCB. The board made the drastic call to axe seven players alongside head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed—a decision widely viewed as a sign of deep systemic failure within the setup. However, Yousuf contends that the root of the crisis traces back much further than recent form. While the historic 2021 win over India was celebrated as a breakthrough—marking Pakistan's first-ever victory over their arch-rivals in a World Cup event, Yousuf argues it ultimately fostered a toxic sense of complacency and arrogance among the playing group.

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Instead of citing technical flaws or physical preparation, the former middle-order maestro singled out ego and a lack of humility as the primary drivers of the team's downfall.

Mohammad Yousuf’s brutal verdict on Pakistan’s decline

Speaking on Samaa TV, Yousuf explained that the victory created a false sense of finality for the squad. He noted that players began acting as though they had reached the pinnacle of the sport, losing sight of the continuous work required at the top level. He emphasized that elite performance demands remaining grounded, warning that rising arrogance inevitable invites the kind of chaos currently engulfing Pakistan cricket.

“That match which we won against India in 2021, that damaged us a lot. Because after that victory, players started to think that they had achieved something big. They couldn’t understand what they had to do next. When you are performing well, you should stay humble. If you behave with your collar raised, and get disrespectful, problems will arrive. And a lot of them have arrived in Pakistan cricket. Everyone in the team was trying to become the captain of the Pakistan team. The consequences are still hurting Pakistan cricket,” Yousuf said on Samaa TV.

Yousuf further highlighted internal power struggles, pointing out that several players appeared more interested in pursuing team leadership than focusing on collective success. He observed that despite unwavering administrative support and a revolving door of coaches over the last four to five years, the team continued to stumble across major events—including the ODI and T20 World Cups, the Asia Cup, and the Champions Trophy. With no senior players taking ownership of the slump, Yousuf fully endorsed the PCB's recent decision to institute major structural changes.

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Faced with another humiliating defeat, the Pakistan Cricket Board took unprecedented steps to reshape the squad mid-series. Seven players, Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal, and Muhammad Awais Jafar—were dropped and sent home ahead of the final Test. Crucially, Jamal and Jafar were axed despite not getting a single game on the tour. To fill the void, the selectors drafted in previous international caps Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal alongside an uncapped group featuring Arafat Minhas, Mohammed Imran Jr, Said Baig, Mohammad Imran, and Razaullah.
The drastic overhaul follows two crushing losses to England, starting with an innings-and-103-run thrashing in the opener, followed by a 194-run defeat in the second Test at Lord's. Pakistan's top and middle order collapsed repeatedly, failing to breach the 200-run mark in any of their four innings. Saud Shakeel's valiant 97 at Lord's was the sole bright spot in an otherwise dismal batting display.

Yusuf doesn't want quick fix but permanent solution to Pakistan's crisis

When questioned about the wisdom of gutting the squad before a series conclusion, Mohammad Yousuf strongly backed the board's decision. He argued that with Pakistan languishing at the very bottom of the nine-team World Test Championship standings, the administration had no choice but to intervene to stop the ongoing damage to the country's cricketing reputation.

However, Yousuf tempered expectations regarding quick fixes, noting that fresh faces alone won't solve systemic issues overnight. He emphasized that the severe response was justified after years of decline, pointing out that since reaching the finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup and Asia Cup, the national team's standard of play across formats has plummeted.

In the wake of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed's departure, white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has stepped in to take charge of the Test side. Pakistan will aim to salvage some pride in the third and final Test at Edgbaston, starting September 9.