It was always the most dysfunctional family in international cricket but Pakistan still appealed by dint of boasting stars who could single-handedly change the course of the game. It was a charm offensive even the unreasonable, obsessive cricket fans across the border couldn’t resist falling for.

These days, Pakistan hardly give a reason to be remembered. So high is their player attrition rate that the last few scorecards have to be checked to ascertain if any name has been missed. Heads have rolled and now they have probably one of the most unremarkable captains ever in Salman Agha.

To say the team has been in doldrums is an understatement. Pakistan hosted the Champions Trophy this year but couldn’t make the last four. Same with the last three ODI World Cups, as well as the last T20 World Cup. The T20 World Cup before that in 2022 was probably the last time Pakistan shone, going all the way to the final before being mauled by a rampaging England.

That team was hailed as one that could take Pakistan to safer shores of consistency. Three years down the line though, only few have made the cut. Most notable absentees are Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, stars in their own right but not deemed worthy of Pakistan’s cause right now. Sacrilegious? Perhaps.

Such has been the despair though that Pakistan probably need an overhaul of this proportion. High-risk cricket was the buzzword when Agha was appointed, but you wouldn’t have known that watching Pakistan bat against Oman on Friday.

At the half-way stage, Pakistan were poised to get around 190 but so effortlessly Oman applied the brakes that they didn’t seem out of league at all. The onus was on Pakistan to weigh in with their experience and higher pedigree, but the way they let Oman claw back in didn’t exude a lot of promise.

Posting a target of 160 for Oman—they were all out for 67—was always good enough, but in missing the opportunity to really ramp up their net run rate, Pakistan continued to inflict more self doubt about how they really want to go about a format where other sides are light years ahead.

In the past, you would have entrusted the job of turnarounds to some of the more mercurial but established stars in the Pakistan side. But even the most experienced hands—Fakhar Zaman in this case, who scored a 16-ball 23—are not exactly pushing the envelope for them.

Ideally at this point, there should have been at least five-six players at their prime ready to guide but Babar’s ouster has essentially meant going back to the drawing board. Which shouldn’t be the case in this era, especially with so much franchise cricket happening all the year round.

India’s transition from the last T20 World Cup is a brilliant study from this perspective, going strength to strength despite the retirements of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Pakistan, on the other hand, have not looked this ordinary in a very long time.

More damning has been the steady erosion of the X factor that used to make Pakistan such an unpredictable side even when their chips were down.

No volatile opener to unleash a flurry of sixes, no fast bowler who can strike fear in the hearts of batters—Pakistan look more a ‘regular’ team now than a bunch of fascinatingly talented individuals. Their bowling has historically required less selling, but still needs a lot of work and probably a touch of unorthodox swing bowling.

At the heart of the issue really is the belief that boring results can make amends for years of chaos and instability in the name of stardom. To find success, Pakistan have punted away the thrill of watching them play cricket. Only time will tell if it was worth the trouble.