Pakistan’s out-of-favor batter Ahmed Shehzad believes Pakistan players are not at fault after their shocking 10-wicket loss against Bangladesh at Rawalpindi on Sunday. Shehzad reckons Pakistan Cricket Board is the reason behind team’s downfall.
Recently Pakistan could not even reach the Super 8 stage in the T20 World Cup after they were knocked out of the group phase, following their surprising loss against the USA. Now Pakistan lost a Test match for the first time against Bangladesh and that too while playing on the home soil.
Pakistan declared after posting 448-6 in the first innings whereas Bangladesh added a score of 565 runs on the board to take a 117-run lead. The home team was then bundled out for 146 runs in the second innings and could only take a 29-run lead.
Shehzad feels this is a new low for Pakistan cricket as they have beaten for the first time by the Tigers in red-ball version.
Ahmed Shehzad said in a video uploaded on X, “The state of Pakistan cricket is such that today (Sunday) Bangladesh has defeated Pakistan for the first time in Test cricket and that too on their (Pakistan’s) home soil. I have never seen Pakistan cricket sink to such a low in my life. Leave aside batting, bowling and fielding, this is a new low in Pakistan cricket.”
“I had said this before as well, Pakistan team is already heading towards darkness, so you cannot take short-term decisions. The situation is just like hockey. Even so, we never expected that Pakistan will lose to Bangladesh, but they have done that as well. Pakistan’s players are not at fault. The cricket board is responsible.
The Pakistan opener added that PCB are not selecting the deserved players from the domestic circuit.
“Players never force anyone to put them in the team. It’s the board that keeps playing them and is not allowing domestic players to come in. If you don’t have domestic players who can replace the existing lot, then what have you done so far?,” he added, questioning the functioning of the PCB.
The second Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be played at Rawalpindi from Friday onwards.
