New Delhi: Ramiz Raja, the former head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), questioned Shan Masood’s captaincy following the team’s first Test loss against Bangladesh on Sunday. He slammed his decision to exclude spinners from the playing 11 on Rawalpindi pitch.
Pakistan entered the game with four pacers and no frontline spinner, which cost them dearly on the final day of the match when Bangladesh spinners – Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan – spun web to bundle out hosts for 146 in the second innings, leaving them with a mere 30-run target to write history on Pakistani soil with a 10-wicket win, which became an embarrassment for Pakistan.
The experienced player claimed that Pakistan’s pacers have lost their spark and speed, making them less lethal.
“Firstly, there was a mistake in team selection. You were without a spinner. Secondly, the reputation based on which we rely on our fast bowlers is finished. This debacle, a sort of a confidence crisis, started during the Asia Cup when India bashed our pacers on seaming conditions, and then the secret was out to the world that the only way to counter this line-up was to attack,” Raja said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“Their speeds have decreased, and so have their skill set. The Bangladesh fast bowlers seemed more penetrative, while our bowlers were involved in more drama around their wickets. Since Pakistan did not have an out-and-out fast bowler on that track, even the Bangladesh, with that line-up stood tall against our pacers with speeds around 125 to 135kmph,” he explained.
With a series defeat on the line, Raja stressed the urgency for Masood to enhance his batting performance and demonstrate his leadership skills in the middle.
“Shan Masood is currently on a losing streak. I felt, in Australian conditions, things are tougher, and it was impossible for the Pakistan team to win a series there. But you are now losing in home conditions, against a team like Bangladesh, because you did not read the conditions well. Neither did the batters apply themselves and the bowlers were horrendous.”
“Masood needs to improve his batting and needs to show that you have some knowledge of the game. He is an experienced skipper, having led in PSL and County matches. I don’t know on what basis he picked four pacers for the Rawalpindi track during the month of August,” he said.
“He needs to work on his batting. It’s not like he is a great captain and so if he keeps getting out ducks, he would still have his place in the side. Losing makes a huge dent on the team and the morale of the side. You cannot lose the series. Pakistan cricket is already under a lot of pressure. A series loss would mean tension in the dressing room, there will be a lot of criticism and questions raised,” Raja added.
The second and final Test of the series, to be played at the same venue on August 30, carries significant importance in the context of the team’s performance and Masood’s leadership.
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–IANS
