(AP Photo)
Pakistan’s historic defeat to Bangladesh on home soil has sparked widespread criticism, with former players raising concerns about the future of cricket in the country. Despite both teams posting impressive first innings totals, the first Test in Rawalpindi appeared to be heading for a draw. However, Pakistan’s dramatic collapse in their second innings left Bangladesh with a mere 30 runs to chase for victory.
Bangladesh secured their victory by 10 wickets, marking their largest-ever margin in Test history, and are now on the brink of a historic Test series win in Pakistan. England batting legend Kevin Pietersen has raised concerns about the current players’ work ethic, comparing them unfavorably to his experiences during his time in the Pakistan Super League.
“What happened to cricket in Pakistan?” Pietersen posed the question via his social media account on X on Monday. “When I played the PSL, the standard of that league was tremendous, the players had a very good work ethic and the youngsters on display were magic.”
“What’s happening there?” he added.
This marks Bangladesh’s first victory over Pakistan in 14 Test matches, having previously lost 12 encounters. The defeat is likely to be a significant blow to Pakistan cricket, particularly as it occurred on home soil and came despite Pakistan declaring their first innings at a formidable 448/6.
Pakistan has faced intense criticism for opting to play without a specialist spinner and relying solely on their fast bowlers, especially given the pivotal impact of Bangladeshi spinners on the match’s result. In their second innings, Pakistan was dismissed for just 146 runs, with Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz claiming seven wickets between them.
“We had anticipated the pitch to offer more assistance to the seamers. Looking at the pitch, we expected it to do more,” Pakistan skipper Shan Masood said after the match. “If we played three fast bowlers, we would be pushing them to the limit and the spinner would be bowling 25-30 overs a day, which we wanted to avoid. We thought that with the weather, it may not even last the full 5 days. At the end of the day, we got it wrong.”
