Numerous reactions have been triggered by the recent 0-2 defeat of Pakistan cricket team at home against Bangladesh. For its substandard performance in the past few months, the entire team has come under fire. Babar Azam is one of the most criticized players among them. Instead, Babar failed to meet expectations during T20 World Cup 2024 to be held in America and West Indies, then followed by Bangladesh Test series questioning his skill, temperament and ability to deliver desired results.
Babar became a major target on social media, even some Pakistani YouTube stars did not spare him. Although Pakistani cricketers are not allowed to play in Indian Premier League, Babar was mocked by YouTubers who claimed that he wouldn’t even get Rs 130 if he was eligible for the bid.
.The captain of Pakistan’s Test team Shan Masood acknowledged that the players were not ready for the test of red-ball cricket.
“In my opinion, I am responsible for our defeats and I ask for forgiveness from the people of Pakistan. But it is important to know how we can improve and upgrade our Test team,” Masood said at a press conference after the match. “We accept losing this series; there are no excuses. Still, it’s true that the players wanted to perform well. But we weren’t just prepared for longer formats so we had to face some setbacks while looking ahead.”
The future of Pakistan’s cricket lies in developing a good pool of fast bowlers as per Masood.
“We need to build stocks in pace bowling because these bowlers who regularly play red-ball cricket should be encouraged as well as given consistent chances,” he said.
During their second Test, Pakistan were without Shaheen Afridi who missed out through injury, thus trying new faces instead. However, this decision proved counterproductive.
