Underneath a gray sky on the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, veteran Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan smashed Pakistani leg-spin bowler Abrar Ahmed for a boundary that sealed his workforce’s six-wicket victory within the second Take a look at match and a historic first males’s Take a look at collection win over the house aspect.
Shakib punched the air and hugged teammate Mushfiqur Rahim as the remainder of his teammates ran onto the bottom to hitch within the celebrations on Tuesday afternoon. Earlier than the collection, Bangladesh had misplaced 12 of the 13 matches between the 2 groups.
As Pakistan captain Shan Masood and his workforce struggled off the sphere, darkish clouds mirrored the gloom surrounding Pakistan cricket. The lads’s workforce had simply been swept apart in a house Take a look at collection for under the second time in its historical past.
Pakistan haven’t gained a Take a look at match at house since February 2021 – a winless streak of 10 video games.
What has gone unsuitable with the Pakistan cricket workforce?
Traditionally, Pakistan could have been one in all cricket’s powerhouses, however their latest performances have plummeted throughout all codecs of the sport. Victories within the ICC Males’s 50-overs World Cup in 1992 and the T20 World Cup in 2009 are a distant reminiscence.
Be it defeats towards lower-ranked groups in bilateral collection or shocking ends in international occasions, Pakistani cricket followers have seen all of it prior to now few years.
Pakistan’s final notable efficiency got here in November 2022 on the T20 World Cup in Australia, the place they finally misplaced a one-sided remaining towards England.
What have been Pakistan’s outcomes since November 2022?
Pakistan didn’t make it previous the primary spherical on the 2024 T20 World Cup once they infamously misplaced to cricket newbies USA, who solely certified for the match as one of many co-hosts.
Within the run-up to the match, Pakistan misplaced a T20 match towards Eire for the primary time.
On the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India, Pakistan misplaced 5 of their 9 matches and exited the match on the group stage.
Of their final 5 Take a look at collection, Pakistan have gained one – away to Sri Lanka in July 2023.
In numbers:
- Proof: Performed 12, gained 2, misplaced 8, tied 2
- ODI: Performed 25, gained 14, misplaced 10, no end result 1
- T20: Performed 54, gained 25, misplaced 26, drew 1, no end result 2
What occurred to cricket in Pakistan? Once I was enjoying within the PSL, the extent of that league was super, the gamers had an excellent work ethic and the kids who participated have been magical.
What is going on on there?
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) August 26, 2024
Can anybody clarify why Pakistan has been so poor?
It is a powerful one, however Al Jazeera requested Micky Arthur, who was Pakistan’s head coach from 2016 to 2019 and oversaw affairs as workforce supervisor in 2023.
Arthur believes Pakistan doesn’t lack “high quality gamers”.
“There are some unbelievable gamers [on the Pakistan side]”However what the workforce lacks is stability,” Arthur stated moments after Pakistan’s defeat within the second Take a look at.
“Stability comes from the highest: in workforce choice, consistency in participant roles and ensuring every participant understands his function,” he defined.
“Instability in Pakistani cricket creates chaos and gamers find yourself enjoying for themselves as a result of they don’t know what the subsequent regime has in thoughts. This breeds mediocrity.”
Bangladesh rises to fourth place within the rankings #WTC25 Qualifying after their historic collection win over Pakistan! 🇧🇩👏#BCB #Cricket #Bangladesh #PAKvBAN #WTC25 picture.twitter.com/eIpZLVfSTx
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) September 3, 2024
What is that this “instability”?
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been in a disaster since late 2022 when the federal authorities sacked then-chairman Ramiz Raja. Since then, the nation’s cricket governing physique has been led by three presidents, every of whom has led to quite a few adjustments within the administrative employees and workforce management.
The present PCB chief, Mohsin Naqvi, has been in workplace since February 6 and likewise performs the function of Pakistan’s inside minister.
How has it affected the workforce captaincy?
Pakistan’s ignominious elimination within the group levels of the ODI World Cup in November was adopted by the resignation of their captain, Babar Azam, from all codecs.
The PCB determined to separate the captain’s function and handed over the reins of the Take a look at workforce to Masood, whereas quick bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi was given the belief of the T20 management.
Nevertheless, when Naqvi took over as PCB chairman, he sacked Afridi after only one collection and reinstated Babar.
As for the ODI captaincy, the difficulty stays up within the air as Pakistan haven’t performed in that format since November.
How many individuals have educated Pakistan since November 2022?
Seven! In chronological order, they’re: Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Rehman (interim coach), Grant Bradburn, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Mahmood (interim coach), Gary Kirsten (present white-ball coach) and Jason Gillespie (present red-ball coach).
Arthur was Pakistan’s coach once they gained their final ICC title, the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, and believes the revolving door coverage is having a detrimental impact on the workforce.
“Each coach brings completely different concepts and has completely different roles for the gamers,” stated the 56-year-old former South Africa coach.
“This creates uncertainty, inconsistency and forces gamers to begin enjoying for themselves,” Arthur stated.
Pakistan have a month to recuperate. Bangladesh performed wonderful cricket. England, who gained 3-0 on their final go to in 2022, shall be an excellent greater problem. There’s a critical risk of back-to-back defeats at house. Time could be very brief… however what will be modified?
— Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) September 3, 2024
Who’re a few of the big-name gamers who’ve underperformed?
Babar, Afridi and Shadab Khan.
Arthur believes these three are “actually superb gamers” however they will solely be judged on their type.
“Generally gamers get obsessive about what’s happening round them as an alternative of specializing in their type,” Arthur stated.
In Take a look at cricket, Babar and Afridi’s numbers have taken a success and former vice-captain and limited-overs specialist Shadab has didn’t reside as much as expectations at ICC occasions. Listed below are his numbers throughout all codecs since 2023:
Babar Azam (batting)
- Matches: 57
- Tickets: 61
- Races: 2,172
- Highest rating: 151
- Common 37.44
- Success price 88.25
- 100s: 3
- Nineteen Fifties: 16
Shaheen Shah Afridi (bowling)
- Matches: 49
- Tickets: 54
- Portillos: 96
- Greatest bowling figures: 5-54
- Common: 24.19
- Financial system price: 5.1
- Hit price: 28.4
- 5-wicket hauls: 1
Shadab Khan (all-rounder)
- Matches: 37
- Races: 462
- Highest rating: 48
- Batting common: 18.48
- 100s: 0
- 50s: 0
- Portillos: 24
- Greatest bowling figures: 4-27
- Bowling common: 48.41
- 5-wicket hauls: 0
How did the captain react to the defeat?
Take a look at captain Masood stated he was “extraordinarily upset” after the defeat towards Bangladesh.
He summed it up: “We have been excited in regards to the season at house. The story has been the identical as in Australia and we haven’t learnt the lesson. We thought we have been enjoying good cricket in Australia however we weren’t getting the job performed. That’s one thing we have to work on. It has occurred 4 instances throughout my tenure that we have now let the opponent again into the competitors after dominating.”
5 defeats in 5 Assessments with Masood as captain. Ought to he resign?
Masood has struggled together with his performances as a batsman since taking up the function of Take a look at captain. He has scored 286 runs in 5 matches and has hit three half-centuries with a excessive rating of 60.
However the tall left-handed hitter is to not blame, not completely, in line with Arthur.
“Shan Masood goes to be an excellent captain however he wants time to develop his main function of scoring runs,” the South African coach stated.
“That’s the place coaches and assist employees are available.
“They’ve to have the ability to take that stress off him so he can carry out at his finest on the pitch. When a captain is assured in his personal sport and feels supported, he finally ends up enjoying a lot better.”
Arthur stated Masood is the “proper individual” who is usually a superb captain if given time and assist.
How has the PCB presidency responded?
Naqvi predicted extra adjustments after Pakistan’s loss to India within the T20 World Cup in June and referred to as the transfer “surgical procedure”.
After which, after the defeat within the first Take a look at towards Bangladesh, he stated: “The issue is that [team] The choice committee doesn’t have a pool of gamers to select from.
“I talked about surgical procedure as a result of we have to repair our issues, however after we have a look at how one can repair them, we don’t have any group of gamers that we will reap the benefits of. The entire system was a multitude.”
