Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali slammed Abdullah Shafique for his lacklustre performance in the opening Test against Bangladesh. Pakistan’s decision to declare at 448/6 in the first innings came back to haunt them after Bangladesh outplayed them in all facets of the game. The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side scripted history by clinching a 10-wicket win in Rawalpindi. Their emphatic triumph marked their first win against Pakistan in the Test format. Pakistan’s downfall began after Bangladesh managed to take a 117-run lead over the hosts.
On Day 5, wickets continued to tumble one after another, but Abdullah Shafique held onto his end and continued to pile up runs on the board.
With Mohammad Rizwan on the other end, Pakistan looked well set to put up a respectable total on the board. But all hopes were dashed when Shafique tried to pull off a reckless shot against Shakib Al Hasan. He came down the track and tried to go for a big shot but failed.
Basit didn’t hold back while criticising the Pakistan opener and pinpointed Shafique’s wicket as the reason behind the team’s loss.
“If I was 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.
Shafique wasn’t the only one who gave away his wicket cheaply. Naseem Shah was yet another one who tried to go for glory when holding the fort was the need of the situation.
“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.
Apart from players being lured into playing false shots, Pakistan’s failure to read the nature of the surface was also among the root causes of their loss.
Pakistan decided to go for an all-out pace attack after leaving Abrar Ahmed out of the team. The decision didn’t pan out the way they would have hoped for. Bangladesh spin duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz combined to pick nine wickets to cause Pakistan a lot of trouble.
Basit believes Pakistan’s Test head coach, Jason Gillespie, fell short in perceiving 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.
Pakistan will look to level the series in the second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on August 30.
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