Pakistan’s embarrassing test series whitewash against Bangladesh has been heavily criticized at home. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Pakistan’s embarrassing test series whitewash against Bangladesh has been heavily criticized at home, with former captain Ramiz Raja calling for an explanation from red-ball captain Shan Masood and senior players.

“Pakistan cricket sunk in Bay of Bengal,” read a headline in leading Urdu language newspaper Daily Jang on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.

Bangladesh jumped three places to No. 4 in the ICC World Test Championship with back-to-back victories against Pakistan, which is lying at No. 8 just above last-placed West Indies.

Masood blamed lack of fitness and long gaps between test matches among the reasons for the debacle against Bangladesh as he suffered a second successive whitewash after losing 3-0 to Australia earlier this year.

“It’s the job of the leader to fight,” Raja said on his YouTube channel Ramiz Speaks. “Agreed he (Masood) is a young captain, agreed the bowling attack was young, but he had picked up this bowling attack.”

Bangladesh quashed all of Pakistan’s plans during its historic achievement in test cricket as Pakistan faced a 10-wicket defeat in the first test after it opted to go with four fast bowlers – including new-ball pair of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

Pakistan’s ploy to rest both Afridi and Naseem for the second test and try their three premier domestic pace bowlers — Mir Hamza, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali — also couldn’t turn the result as Bangladesh romped to a six-wicket win on Tuesday to seal the epic series win.

Khurram and Hamza had floored Bangladesh to 26-6 in the first innings but Litton Das’ 138 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s 78 led an improbable fightback.

“It’s a first-class bowling attack, not a test cricket bowling attack,” Raja said. There are question marks on Masood’s own batting form as the left-hander scored only one half-century against Bangladesh while his last test century came against England in 2020.

“He has to answer about his own performance,” Raja said. “He is not scoring and the way Bangladesh squeezed, somebody has to be called for explanation, senior players needs to explain.”

There has been a sharp decline in Pakistan’s performances this year — both in red-ball and white-ball cricket. The introduction of foreign coaches has made no impact with Pakistan losing to co-host United States and India at the T20 World Cup to make an early exit under head coach Gary Kirsten of South Africa.

Jason Gillespie took over as head coach of red-ball cricket, but the former Australian fast bowler failed in his first assignment against Bangladesh.

“I fail to understand why we always bring in foreign coaches,” said another former captain Rashid Latif.

Raja said Pakistan cricket fans have started to lose interest in their team.

“Lots of fans are disheartened,” he said. “Why do someone watch Pakistan’s test cricket, because when you surf television channels and watch quality and classy cricket elsewhere, why should someone stop and watch how low can they (Pakistan cricketers) go.”

Pakistan’s top-order batters have long been struggling — especially Babar Azam, who hasn’t scored a half century in his last 16 innings. Left-hander Saud Shakeel had a promising start, but let the team down against Bangladesh. Opener Abdullah Shafique could score only 43 in four innings against Bangladesh and added to Pakistan batting woes.

“Only (Mohammad) Rizwan fights,” Raja said. “The overall (cricket) structure is shaken and when the foundation is shaken, sponsors are shaken, fans are shaken and expectations are dead.”

Pakistan has little time to recover, with England lined up for a three-test series next month in Pakistan.

“They (players) have to take onus,” Raja said. “This is the season to make a name. You have to get yourself up mentally and there are no excuses. … When there’s no blame game, only then you can go upward.”

Ground staff cover the pitch after game stop due to bad light during the fourth day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on September 2, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Rain halted Bangladesh’s bid for a clean sweep against Pakistan after young pace bowlers Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana rattled the hosts for 172 on Day 4 in the second test on Monday (September 2, 2024).

Bangladesh had scampered to 42-0 in seven overs before bad light, followed by rain, allowed only one over of play in the final session on Day 4. The tourists will be needing another 143 runs for a rare test series win away from home.

Bangladesh has won just one bilateral test series outside home — beating the West Indies in 2009 — but won the first test by 10 wickets for its first ever test victory against Pakistan in 14 matches.

The 24-year-old Mahmud grabbed 5-43 while 21-year-old Rana chipped in with 4-44 as Pakistan was bowled out half an hour before tea for an overall lead of 184.

Under overcast conditions, Bangladesh openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam scored at a rapid pace before rain arrived. Zakir was unbeaten on 31 off 23 balls that included two pulled sixes against fast bowler Khurram Shahzad and Shadman Islam was not out on 9.

A resilient century from Litton Das and equally splendid half century from Mehidy Hasan Miraz allowed Pakistan a slender first innings lead of 12 runs after the tourists had collapsed to 26-6 on Day 3.

The Pakistani top order’s long struggle in red-ball cricket has seen it lose five of the last nine test matches at home with its last win coming against South Africa in December 2021. The other four test matches were drawn.

Babar Azam’s (11) poor run of form in test matches stretched to seven games when he fell to Rana for the second time in the series as the tall fast bowler rattled the top order by claiming three wickets in his first three overs.

Top-scorer Salman Ali Agha (47 not out) and Mohammad Rizwan (43) led the recovery with a half century partnership after Rana’s burst had reduced the home team to 81-6 in the first session, before Mahmud sliced through the lower order.

Mahmud was a on a hat trick when he had Rizwan caught behind after the break and followed it up with another brilliant ball that found the outside edge of Mohammad Ali’s bat. But Salman added a vital 36 runs in the company of tailenders before Mahmud completed a five-for by claiming the last wicket.

Earlier, Rana could have ended the first session with four wickets but Rizwan was dropped in the slips cordon. Rana came to the fore after Taskin provided the breakthrough when skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto dived low to his left and grabbed a two-handed catch to dismiss Saim Ayub for 20.

Skipper Shan Masood struck four boundaries in his 28 before Pakistan’s innings crashed against Rana’s pace. Masood and Saud Shakeel got slight edges and Pakistan’s premier batter Babar edged to Shadman at slip after struggling for 18 balls. Shadman dropped a regulation chance on the next ball to give Rizwan a big reprieve as Pakistan went to lunch at 117-6.

Babar has been going through a poor run of form and it’s now been eight test matches since he posted a half-century. His top score in that time was 41 against Australia at Melbourne last year.

Both teams are near the bottom of the World Test Championship, with Bangladesh occupying seventh spot and Pakistan just ahead of last-placed West Indies.

Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Mirza celebrates after taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan during the fifth day of the first Test, in Rawalpindi on August 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan took seven wickets between them to secure Bangladesh’s maiden win over Pakistan in five-day cricket, a stunning 10-wicket victory in the first Test in Rawalpindi on Sunday (August 25, 2024).

Mehidy grabbed 4-21 and Shakib 3-44 to trigger a Pakistan collapse on the fifth day, with the home side dismissed for 146 runs in 55.5 overs.

That left Bangladesh a target of just 30 runs, which openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam reached in 6.3 overs.

Zakir (15) hit the winning boundary, with Shadman at the other end unbeaten on nine, as their squad celebrated a memorable victory.

Mohammad Rizwan top-scored for Pakistan in the second innings with 51, including six boundaries, but the home team were staring at defeat on 108-6 at lunch.

A holiday crowd of nearly 5,000 expected Pakistan to fight out a draw but Mehidy bowled Rizwan and trapped last man Mohammad Ali for a duck in successive overs.

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto dedicated the win to people who were killed in political turmoil that resulted in the ouster of premier Sheikh Hasina this month after weeks of student-led protests.

“We are paying tribute to the individuals who recently passed away in our nation during the protest and praying for their souls,” he said.

“Thanks Almighty for the win. It was very special to win on my special day,” said Najmul, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Sunday.

Pakistan skipper Shan Masood described the loss as “disappointing”.

“Yes, it is a very disappointing loss,” said Masood who has lost four successive Tests as skipper. “We did not take Bangladesh lightly but the pitch did not play as we expected.”

Bangladesh, criticised for their lack of Test wins, now have one win each over Australia, England and Pakistan.

The win in Rawalpindi was only their sixth in 143 Tests.

Pakistan’s batting crumbled on a pitch that had been unresponsive over the first four days until small cracks started to appear that were exploited by Bangladesh’s spinners.

The hosts also paid for not including a frontline spinner as they fell to the fifth defeat in their past nine home matches, with four draws.

Their leading batsmen also failed, with Babar Azam making only 22 and skipper Masood 14. First innings century-maker Saud Shakeel fell for a fourth-ball duck.

Pakistan trailed by 117 on the first innings and resumed at 23-1, only to lose Masood in the second over to pace bowler Hasan Mahmud.

It could have been 28-3 had wicketkeeper Liton Das not dropped a regulation catch off fast bowler Shoriful Islam to give Azam a first-ball reprieve.

Azam hit three boundaries to raise hopes of a Pakistan fightback but was bowled by an inside edge off Nahid Rana for the right-arm paceman’s only wicket of the match.

Shakib, whose participation in the Test drew protests at home over his political ties to Hasina, had Shakeel stumped and Shafique caught off a miscued shot before lunch.

Agha Salman then fell to off-spinner Mehidy for a first-ball duck, leaving Pakistan in tatters at 105-6.

Mehidy then dismissed Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah cheaply in the space of seven runs.

Pakistan won 12 of the previous 13 Tests against Bangladesh, six by an innings, with one draw.

The second and final Test will also be played at Rawalpindi from Friday, with the series part of the World Test Championship (WTC).

Pakistan slumped to eighth in the nine-team WTC table after their defeat, with Bangladesh climbing to sixth.

Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim (left) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz celebrate during the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on August 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Mushfiqur Rahim dug in to score a superb 191 and share a record stand with Mehidy Hasan Miraz as Bangladesh nullified Pakistan’s pace attack in the first test on Saturday.

Mushfiqur’s 11th test hundred, and first against Pakistan, came in more than 8-1/2 hours and lifted Bangladesh to 565 all out on Day 4.

It was Bangladesh’s third highest score away from home, as Pakistan’s ploy to go with four fast bowlers failed to work on a greenish wicket that eased considerably for batting.

Pakistan, which made 448-6 declared in its first innings, lost opener Saim Ayub early in its second and was 23-1 at stumps, trailing by 94 runs. Abdullah Shafique was not out on 12 while captain Shan Masood was unbeaten on 9.

Mushfiqur’s marathon 341-ball knock, featuring 22 fours and a six, ended in the final session when he attempted a square cut against Khurram Shahzad’s good-length delivery and was caught behind.

Mushfiqur and No. 8 Mehidy, who scored 77, made the four fast bowlers toil under hot and humid conditions by raising a 196-run stand, the highest seventh-wicket partnership in a test against Pakistan.

It broke the 48-year record of Richard Hadlee and Warren Lees. The New Zealand pair put on 186 against Pakistan in Karachi in 1976.

Naseem Shah picked up 3-93 and fellow spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed two late wickets to finish with 2-88. The two other seamers – Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali – claimed two wickets apiece.

All-rounder Salman Ali Agha (41) completed the most overs, after Pakistan opted not to go with a specialist slow bowler. Mushfiqur counter-attacked the offspinner, who ended up with 0-136.

Salman was unlucky not to be among the wickets as Babar Azam spilled a catch at leg slip when Mushfiqur was on 150. Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan also couldn’t hold onto a legside catch off Mehidy when he was on 52.

In addition, Salman dropped Mehidy off Afridi before finally holding onto the batter’s edge in the slips to make amends for his earlier lapse.

Resuming on 316-5, Shah had Litton Das (56) caught behind inside the first hour, but Mushfiqur and Mehidy kept the bowlers at bay.

Mushfiqur was on 59 when he overturned umpire Richard Kettleborough’s lbw decision through a television referral before Shah beat Das with extra pace.

It ended an enterprising 114-run partnership between Litton and Mushfiqur.

Mushfiqur raised his century in the penultimate over before lunch when he swept Salman for two. (AP) AM AM AM

Bangladesh’s Shadman Islam in action on day 3 of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on August 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam missed a fighting hundred by just seven runs but still guided Bangladesh to an impressive 316-5 at close on day three of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Friday (August 23, 2024).

The left-hander scored a patient 183-ball 93 to keep the visitors’ chances of fighting out for a draw or pulling off a first-ever win over Pakistan in 14th Test match between the two oppositions.

At close, veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim was 55 not out while Litton Das was 52 not out to further Bangladesh’s progress, having added a solid 98 runs for the unfinished sixth wicket stand.

Bangladesh trail Pakistan’s total of 448-6 declared by 132 runs with five wickets in hand as Rawalpindi stadium pitch proved unresponsive to bowlers — nearly quashing Pakistan’s hopes of a big lead.

Rahim hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for his seventh boundary to reach his 28th Test half-century. Das also completed fifty with three boundaries and a six in one Naseem Shah’s over after Pakistan took the second new ball.

But Bangladesh’s resistance was led by Shadman.

The 29-year-old left-hander was defiant and approaching his second hundred just before tea but was bowled by a sharp delivery from Pakistan pacer Mohammad Ali in the last over before tea.

Pakistan also dismissed Shakib Al Hasan for 15 as the ace all-rounder played a loose shot against Saim Ayub as the part-time spinner got a maiden wicket in his first-ever Test over.

Pacer Khurram Shahzad was the pick of bowlers with 2-47 while Naseem Shah, Mohammad Ali and Ayub had a wicket each. Spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi failed to get one in 18 overs.

Earlier, it was Shadman who added 52 runs for the fourth wicket with Rahim following his stubborn 94-run stand with Mominul Haque (50) in an earlier wicket stand.

Shadman hit 12 boundaries in his fighting five-hour 29-minute stay at the crease.

Haque was the only batter dismissed in the post-lunch session when he missed a delivery from Shahzad and was bowled. He hit five boundaries in his 76-ball innings.

It was Shadman who anchored his team’s fight as Pakistan’s pace attack looked less effective on a Rawalpindi stadium pitch that has slowed down considerably.

The Shadman-Haque stand led the recovery after Pakistan removed Zakir Hasan (12) and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (16) in the extended three-hour session due to Friday prayers.

Pakistan employed all four pacers but were missing the services of a frontline spinner.

Part-time slow bowler Agha Salman had Shadman leg-before wicket on 57 but the decision was overturned on review.

Resuming at 27-0, Bangladesh lost Zakir to a smart catch by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, diving to his left to take a one-handed catch in Shah’s fifth over of the day.

Shanto looked good during his short knock but was bowled between bat and pad by Shahzad, leaving the visitors on 53-2.

The second and final Test will also be played in Rawalpindi from August 30 — the series part of the nine-team World Test Championship’s third cycle (2023-2025).

Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel run between the wickets during the second day of first cricket test match against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on August 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and vice-captain Saud Shakeel smashed centuries as Pakistan piled up 448-6 declared to put the hosts in control of the first test against Bangladesh on Thursday (August 22, 2024).

Rizwan hit a career-best 171 not out off 239 balls and left-hander Shakeel continued his imperious form in red-ball cricket with 141 runs off 261 before Pakistan declared late on the second day.

Bangladesh openers Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan negotiated the last hour against the pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah as they took the visitors to a cautious 27-0 at stumps after 12 overs, still trailing by 421 runs. Shadman was unbeaten on 12 while Zakir was 11 not out.

Earlier, Bangladesh pace bowlers toiled hard on a greenish wicket which eased for batting under sunshine and saw both Rizwan and Shakeel combining in a five-hour, fifth-wicket stand of 240 runs which took the hosts from 114-4 to 354-5.

Both batters kept Bangladesh’s pace and spin at bay for almost two sessions after Pakistan had resumed its first innings on 158-4. They added 98 runs in the first session before both raised their centuries soon after lunch in another dominant session which produced 111 runs.

“Early on, the ball was doing a lot, but then they started to bowl short of length which helped us to build a strong partnership,” said Shakeel, who became the joint-fastest Pakistan batter with Saeed Ahmed to complete 1,000 test runs in 20 innings.

“Honestly I didn’t know about the record, because for me milestones do not matter and I always look for a Pakistan win.” Bangladesh had its moments after lunch to get the breakthrough but Rizwan survived two close caught behind attempts by Litton Das against the spinners before he raised his third test century off 143 balls, and second at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, by driving left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan (1-100) to wide mid-wicket for a boundary.

Shakeel completed his third test hundred by driving off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz (1-80) for two runs in the covers and proved a perfect foil to Rizwan, who hit 11 boundaries and three sixes in his unbeaten knock.

The fast bowlers couldn’t extract the movement that saw Pakistan slipping to 16-3 on the first day, which was curtailed to 41 overs due to wet patches in the outfield. Shoriful Islam (2-77) and Hasan Mahmud (2-70) didn’t get a wicket on the second day and the third seamer, Nahid Rana, returned with unimpressive figures of 0-105 off 19 overs.

Bangladesh struck late in the second session when Shakeel, who survived a close run-out, was stumped against spinner Mehidy’s sharp turning delivery. Shakeel, who got his first boundary of the second day after completing his century, hit nine fours before he was undone by Mehidy’s brilliant ball.

Shakib had to wait until his 25th over when he had Salman Ali Agha (19) caught at point before Shaheen Shah Afridi made a quickfire 29 not out off 24 and Pakistan declared its first innings on a commanding note.

“(The wicket) looks pretty good for batting and I hope it continues to be like that,” Bangladesh batting coach David Hemp said. “Our batters need to be as positive as Pakistan were.” Rawalpindi will also host the second and final test. (AP) DDV

Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and his Pakistan’s counterpart Shan Masood pose with the Test series trophy at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on the eve of their first Test cricket match, on August 20, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Bangladesh is pinning its hopes on all-rounder and former lawmaker Shakib Al Hasan to “do something special” against pace-heavy Pakistan in the opening test of the two-match series, starting on Wednesday (August 21, 2024).

“(Shakib) played this game for so long, so he knows his role,” Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said on the eve of the first test match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

“He knows how to prepare himself, so I am not thinking about his political career and I hope he will do something special in this series. He’s a professional cricketer and we all treat him as a cricketer, to be very honest.” Bangladesh’s most accomplished all-rounder, spin great Shakib was playing in the T20 league in Canada during political turmoil in his country back home.

The unrest hampered preparations and Bangladesh flew to Pakistan four days ahead of schedule to get an additional three days of training in Lahore.

Rawalpindi will host both the test matches.

The series is part of the World Test Championship in which Pakistan is languishing at No. 6 spot while Bangladesh is at No. 8, above last-place West Indies.

Pakistan has an impressive test record against Bangladesh, winning all but one of the 13 matches. The teams drew at Khulna in Bangladesh in 2015.

Shanto said it won’t be easy for Bangladesh against a four-pronged pace Pakistan pace attack, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. And Pakistan pacers have happy memories of Rawalpindi. Four years ago, a hat trick from Shah helped Pakistan to inflict a crushing innings and 44 runs defeat on Bangladesh.

Shanto, who was among Shah’s hat-trick wickets in that 2020 test, said “it’s not going to be easy,” but remained hopeful.

“We have a very good balanced side and we believe we can do some special things this time,” he said Tuesday.

The series will be the first test for Pakistan’s new red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie of Australia. Pakistan was swept 3-0 by Australia in the last test series it played eight months ago. That was also Shan Masood’s debut test series as Pakistan captain.

“There were some mistakes that we made that cost us probably the Melbourne and Sydney test matches,” Masood said. “But as a team, we were heading in the right direction, so that’s something that we’ll take with us.” Masood said results in the domestic matches at Rawalpindi have encouraged him to go with all-out pace attack that also features fast bowlers Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali in the playing XI.

“You have to be very flexible and you have to adapt and adopt different conditions,” Masood said. “I feel in Rawalpindi … the conditions have favored the seamers and the batters, spin bowling hasn’t been such a big threat.” (AP) DDV

Relishing the prospect of playing the opening Test against Bangladesh as the sole spinner, all-rounder Salman Ali Agha on Sunday (August 18, 2024) exuded confidence in excelling at the dual role with aplomb.

“I have played before in Australia as a lone spinner in the side and it is not new for me. When I bat I consider myself as a batsman and when I bowl I am confident to consider myself as a pure bowler,” he said.

The Pakistan selectors have opted to sideline the only specialist spinner in the Test squad, Abrar Ahmed, for the first Test but named Salman to bat at number seven and as the lone spinner.

Salman believes the management had opted for a four-pace attack as the pitches for the two Tests are likely to help the pacers.

“I have no issues fulfilling the role of the only spinner and bowling long spells. But we have to see how the pitch eventually behaves in the test.” The Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Sunday it would be using Kookaburra balls for the seven Tests it plays this season at home and Duke balls for domestic cricket.

Salman said since he played a lot of domestic cricket he was used to playing on pitches which assisted pace bowlers.

“You get pace friendly pitches mostly in domestic cricket and you just have to adjust accordingly being a professional,” he said.

The 30-year-old has scored two centuries and six fifties and snapped 12 wickets in the 12 Tests that he has played so far with a healthy batting average of 42.

Talking about the reports on social media about differences in the Pakistan dressing room, Salman said, “This talk about differences is just on social media. In the team, we support each other and the environment is very good.” He also felt that Bangladesh had a very balanced outfit and some good pace bowlers and it would be a good series against them this time around.