Is Pakistan Cricket Team Paying the Price for Its T20 Obsession?

Pakistan’s cricket team seems to be in the midst of one of its worst runs in the international arena, with success both on and off the field getting harder to come by.

Once touted as the measuring stick for other teams, Pakistan could soon find itself in a lower Test tier while also battling for direct qualification for the next ODI World Cup, a bitter pill to swallow for a side claiming to be the best of the rest, Big Three excluded.

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Innumerable explanations have been offered by pundits for Pakistan’s current state, but does the real answer lie in their overreliance on T20 cricket?

From the launch of the Pakistan Super League to high‑profile bilateral T20I series, the shortest format has dominated the team’s calendar. But has this focus on T20Is come at the expense of Pakistan’s ODI and Test fortunes?

The statistics over the last decade (2015–2025) paint a sobering picture for the Pakistan cricket team.

Pakistan’s Focus on T20s

No country, apart from India, has leaned on T20 internationals as heavily as Pakistan. In the last ten years, Pakistan played 182 T20Is, compared to 162 ODIs and just 78 Tests. By contrast, England played 137 Tests in the same period—almost double Pakistan’s tally—with Australia and India also breaching the 100‑Test mark.

In ODIs, too, India (198) and Sri Lanka (197) played over 30 more matches than Pakistan, with only Bangladesh and the less established sides below them.

This scheduling imbalance makes it clear where the PCB’s priorities have been.

Rise and Fall in T20 cricket

Pakistan’s early dominance in T20Is gave this strategy some justification. Their win percentage hit 80% in 2017 and an astonishing 89.47% in 2018, establishing them as one of the world’s top sides.

Even in 2020 (63.64%) and 2021 (69%), Pakistan cricket team remained highly competitive. But in the last three years, that dominance has eroded:

Pakistan in T20Is (2015–2025)

Year Matches Played Wins Losses Win % (Results Only) 2015 10 6 4 60.0% 2016 15 8 7 53.3% 2017 10 8 2 80.0% 2018 19 17 2 89.5% 2019 10 1 9 10.0% 2020 11 7 4 63.6% 2021 29 20 9 69.0% 2022 26 14 12 53.8% 2023 11 4 7 36.4% 2024 27 7 17 29.17 2025* 14 7 7 50.0%

Despite playing more T20Is than almost anyone else, Pakistan have lost the consistency that once made them world‑beaters in the format. The upcoming Asia Cup will be another test for this wavering side and could dent confidence further.

ODI Decline

The ODI team seems to have borne the brunt of Pakistan’s reliance on T20Is. Whether due to a lack of identity, a dearth of talent, or rivals simply improving faster, Pakistan appears to be on a downward trajectory in the 50‑over game.

After a strong stretch between 2017 and 2022 (win% always above 64%), the side has collapsed, with 2025—statistically—the worst year on record.

This is a remarkable fall for a nation that lifted the 1992 World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy. Playing fewer ODIs than key rivals has only deepened the struggle, leaving Pakistan short of experience and cohesion in the format.

Pakistan in ODIs (2015–2025)

Year Matches Played Wins Losses Win % (Results Only) 2015 27 12 13 44.44% 2016 11 5 6 45.45% 2017 18 12 6 66.67% 2018 18 8 9 47.06% 2019 25 9 15 37.5% 2020 3 2 1 66.7% 2021 6 2 4 33.3% 2022 9 8 1 88.89% 2023 25 14 11 58.33% 2024 9 7 2 77.78% 2025* 11 2 9 18.2%

Tests: Forgotten Priority

Pakistan cricket team’s red‑ball game has been squeezed the hardest by the PCB’s affinity for T20s. With only 78 Tests since 2015, they have played significantly fewer than other major nations. England (137), Australia (105), and even Sri Lanka (93) have invested far more in Test cricket—and it shows in recent World Test Championship tables, where Pakistan have finished among the poorest‑performing sides twice in a row.

Results reflect the neglect. After starting strong in 2015 (62.5% wins), Pakistan slipped into inconsistency, including a miserable 2022. A brief rebound in 2023 (66.67%) has since been undone, with the team back to 33.33% in 2024 and 2025, despite playing most matches at home.

Pakistan in Tests (2015–2025)

Year Matches Played Wins Losses Draws Win % (Results Only) 2015 8 5 3 0 62.5% 2016 11 4 7 0 36.4% 2017 6 2 4 0 33.3% 2018 9 4 4 1 50.0% 2019 6 1 4 1 20.0% 2020 5 1 2 2 33.3% 2021 9 7 2 0 77.78% 2022 9 1 5 3 20% 2023 5 2 2 1 50.% 2024 7 2 5 0 28.57% 2025* 3 1 2 0 33.3%

The bigger question

Pakistan’s obsession with T20 cricket has brought glamour and commercial success—largely through the PSL and the appeal of short‑format stars. But the imbalance has left the national side vulnerable.

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The evidence suggests that an excess of T20Is relative to ODIs and Tests has coincided with declining win percentages across formats in recent years. The structural neglect of 50‑over and red‑ball cricket is also affecting team management, whose decisions increasingly signal desperation rather than prudence.

If Pakistan team is to recover their standing in world cricket, they must rebalance priorities. T20s may keep fans entertained, but success in ODIs and Tests cements legacy. Whether the Pakistan cricket team and its management will address these issues remains to be seen; for now, there seems to be no stopping Pakistan’s penchant for T20 cricket.

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