In August 2016, Pakistan reached the top of the ICC Check rankings for the primary time of their historical past after a 2-2 attract England. A decade on, Pakistan discover themselves gasping for breath within the format they as soon as dominated. They’ve already conceded this Check sequence 0-2 in England and are staring down the barrel of a whitewash.
The 2 losses in England are a part of Pakistan’s long-standing issues in Check cricket. They’ve misplaced 15 of their final 20 Exams and at the moment sit on the backside of the World Check Championship standings.
Wasim Akram, the legendary Pakistan quick bowler, has sympathy for the present crop of gamers but additionally believes the mentality of a few of them is including to Pakistan cricket’s issues relatively than serving to the group get well.
“However in Pakistan we have now a saying: ‘You may solely clap with two palms’,” he instructed The Athletic.
The comment got here days after Pakistan cricket was rocked by an off-field turmoil. Following the loss at Lord’s within the second Check towards England, seven Pakistan gamers and two coaches, together with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, had been despatched again dwelling.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) then issued a show-cause discover to the choice committee, shortly after which former captain Misbah-ul-Haq resigned from the committee. The PCB later introduced on Monday that it was holding a disciplinary inquiry into behaviour “following media stories regarding self-discipline and conduct, that are at the moment being reviewed internally.”
Wasim admitted that the sequence outcome didn’t shock him, saying he knew Pakistan would wrestle to keep away from a whitewash towards England.
“I knew earlier than the sequence we had been going to lose 3-0 to England,” he mentioned. “Our batting is struggling, our bowling is beneath common and our fielding is worse. It’s not rocket science.”
However the issues, he mentioned, run deeper.
“I get requested on a regular basis, ‘Are you able to do one thing to assist Pakistan cricket?’ However the points are loads deeper. These are the highest gamers, there’s nothing else there. The programs aren’t there beneath that. The primary-class construction domestically has been all over the previous few years and there’s no consistency, no persistence.
“That dribbles all the way down to the followers, too. They see the group lose they usually wish to rip all of it up, too. We’ve achieved that so many instances and now there’s nothing actually left.”
Pakistan at the moment are gearing up for the ultimate Check towards England, hoping to salvage a comfort win and keep away from a sequence whitewash.
