Pakistan faced one of their most shocking defeats on Sunday when the team lost to Bangladesh by 10 wickets in their home Test in Rawalpindi. The defeat not only marked a significant low for the team but also put the spotlight on Shan Masood, the batter who took over as Pakistan's Test captain last year. Since his appointment, Masood has yet to secure a win for his side, having now endured four consecutive losses, with the latest against Bangladesh etching itself into history as Pakistan's first-ever Test defeat to the nation.
The dismal performance has understandably left the Pakistan cricket fraternity displeased, with critics pointing to the team's failure to read the surface and their overall lacklustre showing. Bangladesh outperformed Pakistan in every department, exposing significant flaws in the home side's strategy and execution.
Ahmed Shehzad, a vocal critic of Pakistan cricket, didn't hold back in his assessment, directing his ire at the Pakistan Cricket Board for what he perceives as gross incompetence. He declared this moment as the darkest hour in the country's cricketing history, arguing that Pakistan has reached its lowest point.
“The historic downfall of the Pakistan team has begun. The nation has been lied to again and again and today, after the historic humiliating defeat by Bangladesh, the dirty joke has been played again. Whom should the nation ask for an answer from and whose throat should they grab? Who is responsible for all these situations?” Shehzad wrote in a caption to the video where he criticised Pakistan's performance.
“I haven’t seen Pakistan go this low in my life. Batting, bowling and fielding is a discussion for another day. But this is a new low in Pakistan cricket. It will be very tough for them to recover from this defeat. They haven’t recovered from the defeat against Afghanistan until today,” Shehzad said.
'Players not at fault'
{{/usCountry}}“I haven’t seen Pakistan go this low in my life. Batting, bowling and fielding is a discussion for another day. But this is a new low in Pakistan cricket. It will be very tough for them to recover from this defeat. They haven’t recovered from the defeat against Afghanistan until today,” Shehzad said.
'Players not at fault'
{{/usCountry}}Shehzad criticised the PCB, insisting that their handling of domestic structure is now having a long-lasting impact on the Test setup.
“I told earlier that if you take short term decisions, it will hamper your cricket. Pakistan cricket is already towards darkness, but we did not expect to lose against Bangladesh.
“Players are not at fault. PCB is at fault because players never asked to be picked forcefully. It’s you who are making them play constantly. It’s you who are not letting domestic cricketers come along. You admit that there are not enough players in domestic cricket. If this is the case, what have you made?” Shehzad added.