People in Pakistan have come to hate cricket: Ex-star on aftermath of series loss to Bangladesh

Pakistan cricket was reeling on Wednesday after its first-ever Test defeat by Bangladesh, the latest in a string of poor performances that have plunged the game to a low point. The cricket-mad nation was in despair after losing the second Test in Rawalpindi by six wickets on Tuesday, as Bangladesh swept the series 2-0. It was the 10th consecutive home Test without a win for former powerhouse Pakistan and came shortly after failing to progress from their groups in both the 50-over and T20 World Cups last year.

“It's a huge setback and our cricket is at a crossroads,” former Pakistan captain and legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram told AFP. “As a former player and captain, and lover of the game, I was embarrassed by the way they lost from good positions. I just don't understand it.

“We are losing on our own ground all the time and that says a lot about the quality of our cricket,” added Akram, who played 104 Tests and 356 One-Day Internationals for Pakistan.

The defeat by Bangladesh comes hot on the heels of humiliating losses to Afghanistan and the US in the ODI and T20 World Cups respectively. Pakistan also have a dismal record in Tests at home over the past three years — six defeats and four draws, including England's first-ever 3-0 series sweep there in 2022.

A strong England team are Pakistan's next guests, playing three Tests, starting on October 7 in Multan. Pakistan are not faring much better away from home, having lost all three Tests in Australia earlier this year. It was their sixth successive win there since 1999.

“People have started hating cricket,” former international and regional coach Basit Ali told AFP. “Bangladesh has shown us the mirror of what we are at the international level.

“It's a cliché that winning and losing are part of the game, but this is a huge shock.”

Ali, who played 19 Tests and 50 ODIs for Pakistan, echoed the consensus among fans and commentators that the international team looked disjointed on the field. “Pakistan did not play as a unit and players looked scattered,” he said. “It is sad and embarrassing to say that this is Pakistan's team.”

The loss also led to Pakistan's side being lambasted by the national press, which said the division stemmed from problems at the top. “The rapid downward spiral of the Pakistan team is alarming to say the least,” the Express Tribune newspaper said on Wednesday. The string of high-profile losses “boggles the mind,” it added.

'No quick fix'

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is currently chaired by the country's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. “Since 1998, hand-picked favourites of the respective ruling regimes in the country have taken turns in the role of PCB chairman to run the game in their own ignorant ways, only to ruin it,” the Express Tribune reported.

Other analysts also say that frequent changes at the top of the PCB, which has had five chairmen in the past three years, have hampered progress. “With the PCB top management changing with every change of the guard at the political level, there has been no consistent framework,” Dawn newspaper reported.

There have also been constant changes of captains and coaching staff, while the national tournament system has undergone numerous overhauls. PCB chairman Naqvi himself called for “surgery in the system” after the T20 World Cup exit.

“We have to solve our problems,” he said last month. “But when we look at how to solve them, we don’t have a solid data or player pool to draw from.”

Former skipper Akram echoed Naqvi's analysis. “The quality of our cricket has deteriorated without grassroots activities, so we don't have good backups,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do,” Akram said. “As a cricketing nation, we have to be patient, that's the key. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix.”