Veteran allrounder Shahid Afridi is on the cusp of retiring and the word is captain Misbah-ul-Haq will follow.
Some believe heads must roll but it's not the sort of added pressure Pakistan need in trying to make the cup playoffs.
Speculation is rife about ructions within the stable - those who feel former international strike bowler Waqar has brought baggage into the matrix from his playing days when the likes of Afridi and Misbah were players, too.
Factions aside, there is disenchantment among hordes of fans about whether Pakistan have in fact succeeded in putting their best XI out on the park in this World Cup.
The absence of wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed, at the expense of Nasir Jamshed, as an opening batsman is a case in point.
Today's game will no doubt be one Waqar and Misbah would have put a tick next to, not only as a must-win but with utmost brutality to boost their run rate and averages in anticipation of another pool B litmus test at Eden Park on Saturday against a smarting South Africa.
The Pakistanis have won only one match - against Zimbabwe - to date and raucous on-pitch celebration against a borderline minnows side was perhaps indicative of how desperately they needed to get the monkey off their backs.
Gabba's man of the match, fast bowler Wahab Riaz, yesterday said: "We haven't done very well in the first two matches but we were playing two good teams [India and West Indies] and it could have gone either way but on the day they played well so we lost.
"Having said that you can say Pakistan can come from anywhere, any time in the world," said the leftie of a nation whose similar declarations would have sent shivers down the spine of rivals in the past, such as the 1992 cup semifinal in Auckland when they ended the Black Caps' dream run.
Somehow you get the impression the incumbents aren't capable of emulating the feats of past heroes such as Waqar, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan but few teams would dare drop their guards.
Riaz, who with seven-foot Mohammad Irfan took four wickets apiece against Zimbabwe, said finding their line and length remained a work in progress "because in ODIs right now you need wickets to win games".
Spending considerable time in the nets took precedence over detractors' assumptions.
"Talking about Sarfaraz Ahmed or Nasir Jamshed, they are all good players who have the ability ... so we're not looking at what people are saying."
Riaz felt it was best the lineup remained the domain of selectors while they maintained the fabric of unity.
"It's like a family and we support each other."
Senior players Misbah or Afridi need to take ownership in ensuring the team rise above any perceived sense of unrest that may derail their campaign during a tumultuous phase.
"Everybody wants to do good but it's just on those [game] days some of them couldn't," he said, emphasising the team weren't lacking motivation.
"The good thing about Waqar is he still believes all 15 members of this squad are the best guys. He always praises us. Whatever happens he never looks back," Riaz said.
The coaching stable wasn't shy to undergo scrutiny because players often learned and grew from their mistakes.
Without doubt the travelling between Australia and New Zealand - Adelaide, Christchurch, Brisbane, Napier - was taking its toll although the other side of the argument is that if players are capable of toiling for five days in a test arena then why the commotion?
Conversely some teams are playing a game a week.
"It's part of the World Cup so we're not thinking about. It's tiring but it's all right," he said with a faint smile.
Will they make the playoffs?
"Definitely. We have belief in each other that Pakistan will win the World Cup.
"The belief we have you'll see in the next two matches," he said.
