Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has rained down anger on opener Abdullah Shafique and cited his careless batting as a reason Pakistan lost the first Test of the two-match series to Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. This was the first time Bangladesh defeated Pakistan in Tests.
Pakistan was asked to bat first after Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss. Thanks to 171* by Mohammad Rizwan and 141 by Saud Shakeel, Pakistan posted 448/6d in the first innings. They were confident of bowling out Bangladesh for cheap, but Shadman Islam (93), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (77), and Mushfiqur Rahim (191) propelled the team to 565 runs.
Trailing by 117 runs, Pakistan was expected to bat out on the final day and secure a draw atleast. But Bangladesh spinners Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan combined for 7 wickets as Pakistan folded for 146 runs. Bangladesh achieved the target of 30 runs with ease to go 1-0 up in the series.
With Mohammad Rizwan on the opposite end, Pakistan looked ready to score a reasonable amount. But all hopes were dashed when Shafique took a reckless shot against Shakib Al Hasan. As he approached the pitch, he attempted a powerful shot but failed.
Abdullah Shafique received criticism from former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali for his underwhelming performance.
"If I were in the dressing room, I would have told Abdullah Shafique to pack his bags and leave. His shot was the reason Pakistan lost the match. After hitting 37, you are giving away your wicket with such a shot. Shan Masood should punish Shafique. This is Pakistan's team, not your local team. They played the wrong combination," Basit said on his YouTube channel, as per ANI.
"Look at the way Naseem Shah gave away his wicket. This is Pakistan cricket, not street cricket, this happens in England's league cricket," he added.
Basit thinks Jason Gillespie, Pakistan's head coach for the Test matches, misjudged the pitch.
"Both Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie lost their opening matches. They both made mistakes. Kirsten made a mistake in the Super Over against the US, and Jason made a mistake in reading the pitch," he noted.
The second and final Test will begin on August 30 at the same venue in Rawalpindi.
