Pakistan have not won a home Test match since 2022, with their latest innings-and-47-run embarrassment in Multan a seventh defeat in a winless run of 11.
The hosts appeared in good shape having scored 556 in their first innings against England, only to capitulate with bat and ball on day four before the visitors sealed an emphatic win on Friday.
Pakistan have not only been inconsistent on the field, but their management has also gone through a number of changes over that span, with the Pakistan Cricket Board having had three chairmen, two Test captains and six permanent or temporary head coaches.
In white-ball cricket too, Pakistan were knocked during the group stage of both the 50-over World Cup last year and T20 World Cup this summer, where they suffered a shock defeat to associate nation the USA.
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Assessing the team’s struggles, Sky Sports‘ Nasser Hussain said: “I think it’s a little bit with justification [the criticism].
“Simply because, historically, Pakistan are a mercurial side. They go up and down, win games, lose games, they’ll be out of World Cups and then suddenly in a World Cup final.
“But actually, of late with Pakistan cricket – the two most recent World Cups and now six Tests in a row – they’ve lost.
“It’s all down, and it all has a Groundhog Day feel to it. They do okay in the first innings, and then second time round, the openers and the top order fail, leaving the middle order to try and dig them out of a hole, like what happened late last night and into today [in Multan].”
Pakistan captain Masood ‘hurt’ by historic loss
After his side became the first in Test history to lose by an innings after scoring 500 or more in their first innings, Pakistan captain Shan Masood said the said were “hurt by the result”.
Records broken by England in the first Test match against Pakistan in Multan
“Where I’d like the team to improve is, no matter what the pitch is like, we must find a way out,” Masood said.
“England showed us the way in this Test, you have to give huge credit to them.
“We’re hurt by the result, hurt as a nation, but the beauty of the game is it always gives you another chance. The quick turnaround [to the second Test, starting Tuesday] might be beneficial to us and we’re looking forward to it.
“I never try to shy away from responsibility. What hurts is that we’re not getting the results that Pakistan cricket deserves. We are all trying hard, we’re going to give it our all and try to turn this around.”
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Pakistan captain Shan Masood reaches his first Test century as captain against England
Hussain added: “I don’t blame Shan Masood. You have to look at what goes on behind the scenes in Pakistan cricket.
“Name me one sporting environment, team or a business that does well with constant change behind the scenes, constant changes in chairman of selectors, chief executives, captains, coaches.
“If there’s constant changes, there’s constant messages that are coming in that are different, and that consistency that was always lacking in Pakistan cricket goes even more out of the window.
“They have structural issues in their cricket, and that’s the world game’s fault as well. It’s not their fault.
“We talk about the big three [Australia, England and India] and the finances they get, with other sides falling behind. Pakistan is one of those sides that’s falling behind.”
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Nasser Hussain debates who in the England squad would be replaced if Ben Stokes is fit enough to return for the second Test against Pakistan
‘Pressure definitely on horrendously out of form Babar’
One of the big concerns facing Pakistan ahead of the second Test – live on Sky Sports Cricket from 5.30am on Tuesday (first ball, 6am) – is the form of star batter Babar Azam.
The 29-year-old former Test captain managed scores of just 30 and five in the first Test, making it now nine Tests without a half-century on extremely batting-friendly, flat pitches.
Their top seam bowlers, Shaheen Afridi (1-120) and Naseem Shah (2-157), were also below par while front-line spinner Abrar Ahmed (0-174) went wicketless through his 35 overs before leaving the game to illness.
“They do have problems,” Hussain said. “Their best player – a world-class player – Babar Azam is horrendously out of form.
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England continue to dominate on day four of their first Test match against Pakistan by claiming two wickets in two balls
“It’s nine Test matches without a half century – on these pitches!
“Maybe that’s psychological, with everything that he’s been through, giving up the white-ball captaincy?
“In this part of the world, if you are Babar Azam and you go two games without a half century or a hundred, the pressure builds, let alone eight, nine Test matches. The pressure is on him, definitely.”
Hussain added: “Spin hasn’t seemed to be much of a threat. Where are they with their spinners?
“Historically, we would have played against Abdul Qadir, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed. They’ve always produced great mystery spinners.
“And express pace: you wouldn’t say any of their three seamers that they are playing at the moment are express pace.
“That’s a dangerous combination. You have a top order that’s failing in the second innings and you’re not sure what pitch to prepare that suits your bowling attack.”
First Test: Multan – October 7-11 – England won by an innings and 47 runs
Second Test: Multan – October 15-19
Third Test: Rawalpindi – October 24-28
Every match from the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup is also live on Sky Sports from October 3-20 with Australia aiming for a third straight title and seventh overall, and England seeking to triumph for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2009.
Watch day one of the second Test between Pakistan and England in Multan, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am on Tuesday, ahead of play starting from 6am. Stream with NOW
Fabio Wardley’s huge rematch with Frazer Clarke is on the epic Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol bill on Saturday October 12 live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book Wardley v Clarke 2 and Beterbiev v Bivol now!
