Their cricket culture, their selections and their approach to limited-overs cricket are all anachronistic

That there's a difference between truth and fact

They were the best team in the format till the 2010 World T20. Since then, things have been particularly bad

One of the best ways to gauge the evolution of the relationship of the fan with the national team is to look at the history of the country's cricket ads

The two Mohammads, Irfan and Amir, are a study in contrasts in terms of how they are perceived

They said he would never make it as a Test batsman, but he proved them wrong. He couldn't quite do it in 50-overs cricket, though

Over the last five years they have won over half their away series and have not been beaten at home. It is a stark contrast to what went before

The domestic stars coming into the national set-up need to find a way to get over their initial form slumps and adapt to stay in the side

They may not get a franchise to themselves, but they have shown through teamwork, discipline and an unorthodox coach that Pakistan's new T20 league needs them

They don't have the luxury of wallowing in murky, pre-YouTube nostalgia like fans of other teams do

Maybe it really is a new dawn for their batting. Or is it?

His recent success is not reflective of the bigger picture of legspin in Pakistan, but the national team will be hoping he remains the exception for a long time

If everything beyond the Nishtar Park Complex is ignored Pakistan can still host series, and perform better than they do anywhere else in the world. But is that a price the fans, and visiting teams, are willing to pay?

The response of the fans in the two games against Zimbabwe has shown that one-sided run-fests are not as attractive as they are made out to be

Azhar Ali has shown he can survive in the modern ODI game as a batsman, but still seems unsure of what his bowling captaincy style ought to be

Their ODI series loss to Bangladesh highlights several failings - the biggest being that man for man their best XI was a lesser team

A man of reason, numbers and sense, it is no wonder Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan's most un-Pakistani captain, has never connected with fans like someone of his accomplishments ought to have done

Given the circumstances, they actually did the opposite in the World Cup, bringing fervour back to their fan base

It might be just a brief glimmer, but after a miserable build-up to the World Cup, Pakistan are bowling like their exalted predecessors

It seems fashionable when they fail to blame it on an absence of passion; the real reasons are probably much more prosaic