Pakistan suffered a humiliating 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in the opening Test match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday (August 25).
After conceding a significant lead of 117 runs in the first innings, Pakistan’s second essay folded for just 146 and Bangladesh chased down the paltry target of 30 in 6.3 overs to go 1-0 up in the two-match series.
Pakistan’s dismal show has sparked strong reactions from former players, with Kamran Akmal being particularly critical of the embarrassing performance.
"Ye to Rizwan ne 50 kiya aur scoreboard chalaya warna innings se haarte. Ye itni buri haar hai ki bhooli nahi jaegi. Aap kisi ka bura sochoge to aapke saath bhi bura hi hoga. Aap ne pichle 5 saalon se kuch nahi seekha. (Had Rizwan not scored a 50 and ran the scoreboard, you'd've lost by an innings. You haven't learned anything in the last 5 years)," Akmal said on his YouTube channel.
“Aap Zimbabwe se haar gaye. Pichle saal aap Asia Cup se bahar ho gaye the. Abhi aap itna zaleel hue hain World Cup me, Pakistan cricket ka mazak ban chuka hai globally. (You lost to Zimbabwe. Last year, you were eliminated from the Asia Cup. You were humiliated at the T20 World Cup. Made a complete mockery of Pakistan cricket)," he added.
"Mushkil time tha Bangladesh ke liye. Unhone bachana tha Test match. Unhone bachaya bhi aur saath mein jeete bhi. Unhone Pakistan ki team ko expose karke rakh diya hai. (It was a difficult time for Bangladesh. They had to save the Test match. Not only did they save it, but they also won. They have completely exposed Pakistan's team)," he further stated.
This was Pakistan fourth Test loss on the trot after 0-3 whitewash at the hands of Australia last winter. In fact, they haven’t won a Test match at home since 2021.
"Humare players to aise khel rahe the jaise ki club ki team hai. Club ke batsmen bhi aise nahi khelte. Dressing room mein dekha aap ne. Joote utare hue hain, taang pe taang rakhi hui hai. Has bhi rahe hain. Koi fikra nahi kai. Kyun? Kyunki koi puchne wala nahi hai. Aapko fikra hi nahi hai performance ki. Aap maje lene ke liye khel rhe hain. (Our players were playing as if they were a club team. Even club batsmen don’t play like that. Did you see the dressing room? Shoes off, legs crossed, and they’re laughing. No worries at all. Why? Because there's no one to hold them accountable. They don't care about their performance. They're just playing for fun)," Akmal remarked.
Pakistan will now look to bounce back in the second Test against Bangladesh, scheduled to be held in Rawalpindi from August 30.
