Losing face after dropping pace!

Bangladesh players successfully appeal for the wicket of Pakistan skipper Shan Masood (second from left) on Day One of the first Test in Rawalpindi last Wednesday. Masood scored just 6 and 14. Pic/Getty Images

A day after Pakistan suffered a 10-wicket defeat in the first Test at Rawalpindi to Bangladesh - the first time they have lost a Test at home by this margin - its former players have sharply criticised both, the players as well as the administration.

Pakistan did not field a frontline spinner and went with an all pace attack and failed to contain Bangladesh on a docile pitch as the visitors scored 565, after the hosts declared at 448-6. On Day Five, Bangaldesh spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan took seven wickets between them in the second innings to dismiss Pakistan for just 146, after which the visitors chased down 30 in 6.3 overs for their first-ever Test win over Pakistan.

Latif rues loss of pace

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif, 55, rued the downfall of the side's fast-bowling stocks. "The world knows that pace used to be our strength, but our top fast bowlers no longer bowl at breakneck pace. It was the root cause of this defeat [on Sunday]. Their speeds have come down drastically. If they are carrying injuries, they should reveal it. Shaheen [Afridi], Naseem [Shah], and Khurram [Shahzad] started off with pace of 145. They all have come down to 130," Latif, who collected 1,381 runs in 34 Tests at an average of 28.77, told Cricbuzz.

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Former skipper Ramiz Raja, 62, who has been Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief in the past, questioned skipper Shan Masood's captaincy. "Masood needs to improve his batting and needs to show that he has some knowledge of the game. He is an experienced skipper, having led in PSL and County matches. I don't know on what basis he picked four pacers for the Rawalpindi track in the month of August. He needs to work on his batting. It's not like he is a great captain and would maintain his place in the side if he keeps getting out on ducks [Masood, who scored six and 14 in this match, last got a Test century four years ago in February 2020]," Ramiz Raja, who played 57 Tests and scored 2,833 runs at 31.83, said on his YouTube channel.

Former Pakistan captains Ramiz Raja and Shahid Afridi

Afridi criticises selection

Another former captain Shahid Afridi, 44, criticised the team selection. "A 10-wicket defeat raises serious questions about the decision to prepare this type of pitch, select four fast bowlers and leave out a specialist spinner. This to me clearly shows a lack of awareness about home conditions," Afridi, who scored 1,716 runs in 27 Tests at 36.51, wrote on social media platform X.

Former opener Mudassar Nazar, who also previously the coach of the national team, slammed the PCB. "The PCB is full of confused people and they are making mistakes after mistakes, leading to increasing problems in Pakistan cricket. Anyone who has played cricket in Pakistan knows that in August the pitches in Rawalpindi tend to become good batting tracks after the first one or two hours of help for the seamers.

Mudassar Nazar slams PCB

"This is a result of confusion. One day, they [PCB] appoint Waqar Younis as advisor on cricket and now he is mentor of a domestic team in the Champions Cup," said Nazar, 68, who scored 10 centuries across 76 Tests where he scored 4,114 at an average of 38.09.

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi promises ‘changes'

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Monday vowed to fix problems in Pakistan cricket following the national team's shock defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test, emphasising that changes are on the way. "I will fix the issues in Pakistan cricket, God-willing. And changes are on the way. Remember my words. Things will not be the same. A lot is happening in the background," Naqvi told reporters.

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