Pakistan has been going through some tough times in the recent few months, which perhaps has shaken up the relationship among the players recently, as the viral video during the opening game of the two-match Test series against Bangladesh revealed between their premier pacer Shaheen Afridi and the red-ball captain Shan Masood.
After a tough few weeks in the United States of America (USA) during the recently concluded Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan suffered weak performances as they made a group stage exit under the leadership of Babar Azam and were handed defeat from winning positions.
The Green Brigade enjoyed a valuable month off at the end of the event before beginning a long home season, where they focused on showing developed performances in the longest format of the game to keep an opportunity for qualifying in the final of the World Test Championship.
Watch: Shaheen Afridi takes arms of Shan Masood’s shoulder to point rift in Pakistan team
Pakistan was asked to bat first on a flat surface at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Islamabad, where they struggled against the new ball at the start, losing a few early wickets, before the middle order rescued them from the early struggle. Saud Shakeel blasted off a fine 141-run knock, while Mohammad Rizwan smashed an unbeaten 171-run knock before they declared on 448/6 in the first innings.
Also Read: Watch: Shaheen Afridi Shows Special ‘New-born’ Baby Celebration In 1st Test vs Bangladesh
The pitch was still good for batting. Bangladesh made a decent start before losing a couple of wickets constantly. The opener of the side, Shadman Islam, batted beautifully for his 93-run knock, while Mominul Haque and Litton Das displayed their quality with fine fifties.
The former captain of the side across formats, Mushfiqur Rahim, batted superbly for his knock of 191 runs, besides sharing a partnership with Mehidy Hasan Miraz for the latter’s 77-run knock as they earned a lead of over 100 runs.
A video has gone viral, meanwhile, where the Pakistan captain, Shan Masood, was seen standing next to their premier pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, during a team’s huddle. The former put his arm on the shoulder of Shaheen Afridi, which didn’t satisfy the latter much, as he removed his hands. The video instantly sparked a debate among the fans of the side on social media regarding the relationship among the players.
This wasn’t the only clip to go viral during the Test match. Masood, at the end of the third day’s play, was found to be quite vocal in the dressing room with the other members of the side and the head coach of the format, Jason Gillespie, regarding some of their decisions in the field. Shaheen Afridi didn’t enjoy a great time with the ball too.
Pakistan didn’t start well in their second innings, losing two wickets for just 28 runs on the board. The middle-order struggled this time, as the batters kept on playing some unnecessary shots. Rizwan played a decent knock of 51 runs, but that wasn’t enough to save them from the hands of the opposition’s spinners.
When there is no unity!
There is no will!#PAKvsBAN pic.twitter.com/G4m2sjLyyC— Shaharyar Azhar (@azhar_shaharyar) August 25, 2024
Also Read: “Shaheen Afridi Should Be Rested 100%”- Basit Ali Asks Pacer To Play First-Class Cricket
Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz shared seven wickets between them, bundling the home side for just 146, before registering their first Test win over Pakistan by a ten-wicket margin.
“Firstly, looking at the pitch, we expected it to do a bit more. With three pace bowlers, they were gonna be pushed to the limit. At the end of the day, we got it wrong. Hindsight, looking at the declaration, we wanted to push the game forward.” The home captain expressed at the end of the game.
The second game of the series will begin on August 30 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
