The Pakistan cricket team was humbled in the recently played Test series against Bangladesh where the team could not manage to win a single match and was whitewashed 0-2. This historic loss has sparked a lot of debate in the cricket fraternity with many asking questions on the readiness of the team and more so the performance of the key players notably Babar Azam.
The series ended on the Bangladesh side with the second Test match victory by six wickets; the series was a new low for the Pakistan cricket. The loss has been received with harsh condemnation with fans and ex players not sparing their words. Babar Azam who is often regarded as the pillar of Pakistan’s batting has been in the receiving end of this criticism. His poor performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Bangladesh Test series have questioned his skill, temperament, and his ability to perform when it really matters.
Babar Azam has been in the receiving end of nasty comments on social media, with some Pakistani YouTubers even claiming that he would not even fetch Rs 130 in the Indian Premier League, in which Pakistani players are barred from participating. This level of ridicule shows how much fans are frustrated and the pressure that is expected of any important member of the team.
Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood has owned up for the losses and said sorry to the nation and admitted that they were not mentally prepared to face the challenge of Test cricket. ‘I accept the blame for the losses and I owe an apology to the nation,’ Masood said in a post-match conference while insisting that it is time to look ahead and build the Test team. He stressed on the issue of time and the fact that there should be some level of tolerance for failures in the course of the team’s growth.
Masood also stressed the need to develop a potent stock of fast bowlers which is an essential part of a Test playing line-up. “The main point is that we need to develop our stocks in fast bowling, and we need to support and back those bowlers who play red-ball cricket on a regular basis,” he said.
This series defeat takes Pakistan’s poor run in Tests at home to continue to 10 matches without a victory since their triumph against South Africa in December 2021. The loss has once again stirred the debate for massive changes in the team and the PCB, where many ex-cricketers and analysts have urged for a proper method to be implemented for the improvement of the team’s skills and planning.
