Pakistan last won a Test at home in 2021 against South Africa.
R Ashwin, ace Indian spinner, said that he feels sorry for the Pakistan team’s legacy and its legends of the past after the team was whitewashed by Bangladesh 2-0 in the recent Test series in Rawalpindi.
This was only the second time Pakistan was whitewashed in a Test series at home and the first time they lost Test matches to Bangladesh. Bangladesh beat Pakistan in the first Test in Rawalpindi by 10 wickets to register their first win against them.
And then followed it up with another spirited performance in the second match, coming back from being 26/6 in the first innings.
For Pakistan, this is the 10th consecutive winless Test match at home. They have lost six of those and drawn four. Their last Test win at home was more than three and half years ago against South Africa in February 2021. As a result, Pakistan has also slumped to 8th in the ICC Test team rankings.
Ashwin said it was disappointing to see the state of Pakistan cricket.
"What a victory for Bangladesh but what a disappointment for Pakistan. It's quite disappointing because Pakistan is not an easy team to beat. But for more than 1000 days at home Pakistan hasn't won at home. Pakistani cricket fans are passionate,” Ashwin stated on his YouTube channel.
"You know who I feel for the most? It's Pakistan cricket's history. Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Imran Khan, Inzamam-Ul-Haq, Ijaz Ahmed, Salim Malik, Saeed Anwar, Amer Sohail... I can just keep on going. What legacy that country and their cricket team has,” he added.
Ashwin took nothing away from Bangladesh, whom he called a much-improved Test side because of a mixture of youth and experience in their line-up, and said it was difficult to even think of beating Pakistan like this 10 years ago.
"Of course, Bangladesh has come a long way. I don't take anything away from them. Last year, when we toured Bangladesh, we knew what a good Test side Bangladesh is. They have got a lot of experience with Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mehidy Hasan and they have also got some good young talent.
Keeping all this aside, to see where Pakistan cricket it is now... It was difficult to beat them even 10 years ago when Misbah and Younis Khan were there and they played their home matches in the UAE. You had the likes of Yasir Shah, you had two left-arm spinners Abdur Rahman and Zulfiqar Babar coming in. Where they (Pakistan team) are right now, I can't believe it," Ashwin added.
Ashwin claimed he felt "terribly bad" for Pakistan skipper Shan Masood, who has lost all five Tests since taking over the captaincy from Babar Azam and mentioned potential concerns in the Pakistan dressing room.
"I feel terribly bad for someone like Shan Masood. Shan Masood is a very smart cricketer. I know that guy. He speaks a lot of sense. He can be a really good captain for Pakistan. But handling a Pakistan team at this point, where somebody like Babar Azam is not the captain and he's the poster boy of Pakistan, it cannot be an easy dressing room," he added.
Pakistan players will now compete in a five-team domestic one-day tournament before facing England at home in three Tests.