Pakistan test cricketers criticized at home after debacle against Bangladesh

Pakistan’s embarrassing test series whitewash against Bangladesh has been heavily criticized at home, with former captain Ramiz Raja calling for an explanation from red-ball captain Shan Masood and senior players.

“Pakistan cricket sunk in Bay of Bengal,” read a headline in leading Urdu language newspaper Daily Jang on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.

Bangladesh jumped three places to No. 4 in the ICC World Test Championship with back-to-back victories against Pakistan, which is lying at No. 8 just above last-placed West Indies.

Masood blamed lack of fitness and long gaps between test matches among the reasons for the debacle against Bangladesh as he suffered a second successive whitewash after losing 3-0 to Australia earlier this year.

“It’s the job of the leader to fight,” Raja said on his YouTube channel Ramiz Speaks. “Agreed he (Masood) is a young captain, agreed the bowling attack was young, but he had picked up this bowling attack.”

Bangladesh quashed all of Pakistan's plans during its historic achievement in test cricket as Pakistan faced a 10-wicket defeat in the first test after it opted to go with four fast bowlers – including new-ball pair of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

Pakistan’s ploy to rest both Afridi and Naseem for the second test and try their three premier domestic pace bowlers — Mir Hamza, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali — also couldn’t turn the result as Bangladesh romped to a six-wicket win on Tuesday to seal the epic series win.

Khurram and Hamza had floored Bangladesh to 26-6 in the first innings but Litton Das’ 138 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s 78 led an improbable fightback.

“It’s a first-class bowling attack, not a test cricket bowling attack,” Raja said. There are question marks on Masood’s own batting form as the left-hander scored only one half-century against Bangladesh while his last test century came against England in 2020.

“He has to answer about his own performance,” Raja said. “He is not scoring and the way Bangladesh squeezed, somebody has to be called for explanation, senior players needs to explain.”

There has been a sharp decline in Pakistan’s performances this year — both in red-ball and white-ball cricket. The introduction of foreign coaches has made no impact with Pakistan losing to co-host United States and India at the T20 World Cup to make an early exit under head coach Gary Kirsten of South Africa.

Jason Gillespie took over as head coach of red-ball cricket, but the former Australian fast bowler failed in his first assignment against Bangladesh.

“I fail to understand why we always bring in foreign coaches,” said another former captain Rashid Latif.

Raja said Pakistan cricket fans have started to lose interest in their team.

“Lots of fans are disheartened,” he said. “Why do someone watch Pakistan’s test cricket, because when you surf television channels and watch quality and classy cricket elsewhere, why should someone stop and watch how low can they (Pakistan cricketers) go.”

Pakistan's top-order batters have long been struggling — especially Babar Azam, who hasn’t scored a half century in his last 16 innings. Left-hander Saud Shakeel had a promising start, but let the team down against Bangladesh. Opener Abdullah Shafique could score only 43 in four innings against Bangladesh and added to Pakistan batting woes.

“Only (Mohammad) Rizwan fights,” Raja said. “The overall (cricket) structure is shaken and when the foundation is shaken, sponsors are shaken, fans are shaken and expectations are dead.”

Pakistan has little time to recover, with England lined up for a three-test series next month in Pakistan.

“They (players) have to take onus,” Raja said. “This is the season to make a name. You have to get yourself up mentally and there are no excuses. … When there’s no blame game, only then you can go upward.”

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