Pakistan's crushing defeat at the hands of England had added to distress among the cricketing fraternity in the country. The Shan Masood-led side became the first team in Test history to lose by an innings despite scoring more than 500 runs in the first innings during the 1st Test in Multan. After posting a formidable 556 in their opening effort, Pakistan was left stunned as England responded with a massive 823/7. England's relentless bowling then tore through Pakistan’s second innings, bundling the hosts out for just 220 and sealing a comprehensive win by an innings and 47 runs.
The defeat, Pakistan’s latest in a series of disappointing results in home Tests, has left fans and former players frustrated. Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar did not hold back in his criticism, asserting that Pakistan cricket has been on a steady decline for the past decade.
Speaking out about the team’s dismal performance, Akhtar pointed to the lack of quality in the current lineup, bluntly stating that the players are “simply not good enough.”
“Jo boyenge wo kaatenge (You will reap what you sow). Over the decades, I have seen the decline. The situation is disappointing. Losing is fine, but the game should be close. However, what we saw over the past two days, they completely gave up hope. This shows that we aren’t good enough. England scored 800+ and Bangladesh also beat you,” Akhtar told PTV Sports.
“Fans are saying that Pakistan should stop playing Test cricket. I saw some comments. ICC must be thinking, ‘Should we send teams to Pakistan and keep their Test status alive’. It’s just disheartening. This is going to hurt Pakistan cricket, fans and the upcoming talents. I want to request the PCB to sort out this mess,” he added.
Akhtar on dressing room
{{/usCountry}}“Fans are saying that Pakistan should stop playing Test cricket. I saw some comments. ICC must be thinking, ‘Should we send teams to Pakistan and keep their Test status alive’. It’s just disheartening. This is going to hurt Pakistan cricket, fans and the upcoming talents. I want to request the PCB to sort out this mess,” he added.
Akhtar on dressing room
{{/usCountry}}The former fast bowler also addressed the speculations surrounding “groupism” in the Pakistan dressing room, stating that it has been a “culture” in the side since his own playing days.
“If your management and captain are weak, there will be groupism. If the captain is selfish, there will be groups. The same is the case if the coaches are afraid of the captain. The captain calls the shot when it comes to selection. This has been the culture since my playing days,” Akhtar said.