“The fact that our cricket has reached this point is painful. Bangladesh merits praise for their well-behaved performances. However, the way our batting has faltered in this series is concerning,” ex-captain of the Tests Javed Miandad stated.
In the second Test match here against Bangladesh, Pakistan cricket plummeted to a six-wicket defeat on Tuesday, and the veteran players described the 0-2 series loss as “hurting.” This was the first time Bangladesh had defeated their neighbors in a Test and series, and it was also Pakistan’s sixth loss in their last ten home Test matches. “The fact that our cricket has reached this point hurts. Bangladesh should be commended for their well-behaved performances. However, the manner in which our batting has crumbled during this series is concerning, according to former Test captain Javed Miandad.
After Pakistan rested Naseem Shah and removed bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi from the eleven, Bangladesh’s batsmen dominated the second innings of the second Test.
In the opening over of the match, Pakistan had Bangladesh down 26 for 6 but a magnificent partnership between centurion Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz saved their team.
Miandad said that the Pakistan board’s squabbling had caused the players to lose confidence.
He remarked, “I wouldn’t just blame the players because the team has been impacted by everything that has happened in the last 1.5 years with the PCB, including changes in management and captaincy.”Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former captain, noted that losing three series and having lost all nine Test matches at home was a concerning record.
“Home series were always thought to be our best opportunity to defeat the most accomplished teams in the past. However, runs must be scored by the batters for this to occur,” he stated.
Younis Khan, the record-breaking batsman for Pakistan, stated that it becomes mentally challenging for a team to recover when they are on a losing run.
“Our hitters have had success in the past, but I believe that in order to get through this crisis, they currently need mental toughness and clarity,” he stated.
However, Ahmed Shezad, a former Test batsman, criticized the hitters, accusing them of hopping around when facing Bangladeshi pacers.
He remarked, “The future is not very bright for us if you can’t handle a bit of pace and movement even at home.”
Pakistan’s best chance of winning at home came from spin bowlers who could provide them with useful surfaces, therefore former Test spinner Iqbal Qasim requested the team management to develop the team’s young and experienced spinners.
“We don’t currently have bowlers with the caliber of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar, or Shoaib, or Sarfaraz Nawaz. It is therefore prudent for us to rely on our spinners to win us Tests at home. Pakistan looks to have lost any chance of making it to the World Test Championship final after this most recent failure.The PCB and selectors have reportedly been warned not to worry since doing so will further undermine the players’ confidence by red-ball coach Jason Gillispie and white-ball coach Gary Kirsten.
Gillispie will take a brief vacation home to Australia with high-performance coach Tim Nielsen.
