KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has called for major reforms in the country’s domestic red-ball structure, stressing the need to financially reward specialist players in order to revive Pakistan’s struggling Test cricket standards.
The veteran all-rounder shared his views on the social media platform ‘X’ following Pakistan’s recent disappointing performances in the longer format, urging the authorities to prioritise red-ball specialists through improved central contracts and incentives.
Malik, who represented Pakistan in 287 ODIs, 35 Tests and 124 T20Is, scoring 11,855 international runs and taking 217 wickets, believes better financial security would encourage players to remain committed to first-class cricket rather than shifting focus towards franchise leagues.
“To strengthen our red-ball cricket, we need to offer lucrative red-ball contracts to specialist players,” Malik said.
He further explained that such incentives would help players stay dedicated to the traditional format and improve the quality of domestic cricket.
“It’s the best incentive to keep them committed to the longer format as this way they will commit to play a minimum of five first-class matches per season and players will not make the mistake of forcing themselves into changing their natural game or chasing franchise cricket,” he said.
The 44-year-old stressed the importance of raising standards in international cricket and highlighted the gap between domestic promise and international demands, urging players to fully prepare themselves for the highest level of competition.
“At the international level, half-cooked skills don’t survive. We need fully committed players who are equipped for the challenge,” he concluded.
The suggestion came after Shan Masood-led Pakistan extended their poor red-ball run against Bangladesh, carrying a four-match losing streak against the Tigers, including a recent two-match Test series whitewash and two home defeats in 2024.
Najmul Hossain Shanto-led Bangladesh created history by defeating Pakistan by 78 runs in the second and final Test to secure their first-ever Test series victory over Pakistan at home with a 2-0 triumph.
Chasing a daunting target of 437, Pakistan were bowled out for 358 in 97.2 overs, undone by a superb spin performance from Taijul Islam.
With this result, Pakistan have now suffered four series defeats in their last seven Test series under Masood’s captaincy, alongside two drawn series and one home series victory — a 2-1 win in a three-match series in 2024.
