Pakistan cricket was reeling Wednesday after its first-ever Check defeats in opposition to Bangladesh, the most recent in a string of poor performances which have seen the sport hit all-time low. The cricket-mad nation was left in despair after shedding the second Check in Rawalpindi by six wickets on Tuesday as Bangladesh swept the sequence 2-0. It was the tenth winless house Check in a row for former powerhouses Pakistan and got here onerous on the heels of failing to get out of their teams at each the 50-over and T20 World Cups up to now yr.
“It is an enormous setback and our cricket is at a crossroads,” former Pakistan captain and legendary quick bowler Wasim Akram informed AFP. “For a former participant and captain, and a lover of the sport, I used to be left embarrassed on the means they’ve misplaced from good positions. I merely do not get it.
“We’re shedding constantly on house turf and that claims quite a bit concerning the high quality of our cricket,” added Akram, who performed 104 Checks and 356 one-day internationals for Pakistan.
The defeat to Bangladesh comes onerous on the heels of chastening losses in opposition to Afghanistan and the USA within the ODI and T20 World Cups respectively. Pakistan even have a dismal report in Checks at house up to now three years — six defeats and 4 attracts, together with England’s first-ever 3-0 sequence sweep there in 2022.
Ominously, in-form England are Pakistan’s subsequent guests and can play three Checks starting in Multan on October 7. Pakistan usually are not faring any higher away from house, they misplaced all three Checks in Australia earlier this yr — their sixth successive whitewash there since 1999.
“Individuals have began to hate cricket,” former worldwide participant and regional coach Basit Ali informed AFP. “Bangladesh has proven us the mirror of what we’re at worldwide stage.
“It is a cliche that wins and losses are a part of the sport, however this can be a seismic shock.”
Ali, who performed 19 Checks and 50 ODIs for Pakistan, echoed the consensus amongst followers and commentators that the worldwide crew appears disjointed on the sphere. “Pakistan didn’t play as a unit and gamers regarded scattered,” he stated. “It’s unhappy and embarrassing to say that that is Pakistan’s crew.”
The loss additionally noticed the Pakistan aspect battered by the nationwide press, which stated disunity stemmed from issues on the very prime. “Pakistan crew’s fast downward spiral has been alarming, to say the least,” stated the Categorical Tribune newspaper on Wednesday. The sequence of high-profile losses “makes the thoughts boggle”, it added.
‘No fast repair’
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is at present chaired by the nation’s inside minister Mohsin Naqvi. “Since 1998, hand-picked favourites of the respective ruling regimes within the nation have taken turns as PCB chairmen to run the sport in their very own clueless method, solely to damage it,” the Categorical Tribune stated.
Different analysts additionally say frequent adjustments on the prime of the PCB, which has had 5 chairmen up to now three years, have impeded progress. “With the PCB’s prime administration altering with each change of guard at political stage, there may be has been no constant framework,” stated the Daybreak newspaper.
There have additionally been fixed switches of captains and training employees whereas the home system of tournaments has had numerous overhauls. PCB chairman Naqvi himself known as for “surgical procedure within the system” after the T20 World Cup exit.
“We have to repair our issues,” he stated final month. “However once we have a look at methods to resolve them, we have no stable knowledge or participant pool which we are able to draw from.”
Ex-skipper Akram echoed Naqvi’s evaluation. “The standard of our cricket has gone down with no grassroots exercise, so we shouldn’t have correct back-ups,” he stated. “We’ve quite a bit to work on,” Akram stated. “As a cricket nation we’ve to be affected person, that is the important thing. Sadly, there isn’t a fast repair.”
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