Pakistan batter Ahmad Shahzad has criticized the team’s batsmen for their poor performance in the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Following their loss in the first Test, where they managed only 146 runs in their second innings, Pakistan scored 274 and 172 in the second Test’s innings.
Being dismissed for under 200 puts the hosts at risk of being whitewashed in a home series by Bangladesh. The visitors are 42/0 in their chase of 185 runs at the end of Day 4. On X (formerly Twitter) after Day 4, Shahzad expressed his frustration with the Pakistan batsmen:
“Bangladeshi bowlers strike back. And the Bangladeshi bowlers have once again made the Pakistani batsmen dance to their tunes. The same shot selections that we have been talking about — the T20 shots — we have seen them once again. The bat of the batsman is going so far away from his body. In T20 cricket or in T10 cricket as well, when a player gets out like this, the coaches question them.”
“You are getting out by hitting these shots in Test cricket. You are not learning from your mistakes. Maybe you don’t have the desire or the skills. Or maybe we are making a mistake by putting expectations on you or this nation is making a mistake by putting expectations on you. You are playing with their emotions like this,” he added.
Pakistan’s 10-wicket defeat in the first Test was their first-ever loss to Bangladesh in Test cricket. Another defeat in this match would mark their fifth consecutive loss in Test matches since Shan Masood became captain.
“Losses to Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, or Ireland aren’t flukes”- Ahmad Shahzad
According to Ahmad Shahzad, Pakistan’s problems against Bangladesh only resemble their troubles with many teams playing in different formats over the last year.
After being on top of ODI rankings during last year’s Asia Cup, Pakistan has witnessed a shocking decline through every format this year. It has been a forgettable year for fans with early exits from 2023 ODI and 2024 T20 World Cups and four test matches lost continuously.
“The Bangladesh cricket Test team has come here. They have defeated you in the first match and made history. After that, they are dominating in the second match as well. This means that this is not a fluke. When you lose to Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, or Ireland, these things are not a fluke. This is the reality of Pakistan cricket. You have brought Pakistan cricket to this level,” Shahzad said in the same video.
Shahzad held both the players and the Pakistan Cricket Board accountable for the team’s poor performance. He added:
“I don’t hold only the players responsible for this. The PCB is equally responsible. Because some things were right in front of us. We had to take some decisions. But we did the same thing that we do every time. We tried to distract the public by talking on TV. After that, we thought that Bangladesh cricket will come. We will definitely defeat them. When we defeat them, the public’s anger will cool down.”
Bangladesh will start Day 5 (September 3) needing 142 more runs with all 10 wickets intact to secure a 2-0 series victory over Pakistan.
