Pakistan’s cricket team faces a major setback after a crushing defeat in Multan, returning them to square one. Under Shan Masood’s captaincy, Pakistan now finds itself at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship standings, trailing behind Bangladesh and the West Indies.
While Pakistan’s recent victory over England had been bolstered by strategic pitch preparation favoring spinners, this same tactic failed against the West Indies, who claimed their first Test win in Pakistan in 35 years. This followed a series of disappointing losses, including a 2-0 sweep by Bangladesh on home soil, which raised questions about Pakistan’s performance.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif criticized the lack of preparation, poor execution, and failure to learn from past defeats. He noted that despite the team’s home advantage, the batting lineup, including players like Shan Masood and Babar Azam, failed to deliver when needed most.
Pakistan has long struggled to win Tests away from home, particularly on fast, seaming, and bouncy pitches. Now, even on home soil, the team faces difficulties on spin-friendly tracks that were designed to exploit their perceived strength.
The question arises: did the management, under interim head coach Aaqib Javed, adequately assess the team’s batting capabilities before making strategic decisions to dry the pitches for spinners? Pakistan’s batters struggled even when conditions were tailored to help spinners, and only the brilliance of bowlers like Sajid Khan and Noman Ali saved them from further embarrassment.
Former Test cricketer Shoaib Akhtar pointed out that a balanced approach is needed when preparing pitches, considering both the host team’s strengths and the spirit of the game. He suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should focus on developing pitches that allow the team to excel in all conditions, rather than favoring one aspect of the game.
Pakistan’s rich history of world-class fast bowlers like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Shoaib Akhtar is a legacy worth preserving. However, it remains unclear why the current team management is reluctant to prioritize fast bowling. Shoaib’s comments highlight the need for the PCB to adopt a long-term, balanced strategy, drawing inspiration from successful cricketing nations like Australia, India, and England.
If Pakistan aims to achieve sustained success in international cricket, it must invest in developing its players across all formats and conditions, both at home and abroad.
