Pakistan closed in on their all-time low on Tuesday after being whitewashed by Bangladesh in a two-match Test series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The cricket-mad nation was left in despair after losing the series opener by 10 wickets on August 25, their first defeat to the opposition in Test history, before suffering a six-wicket defeat in the second Test.
It was their 10th straight winless Test at home, since December 2021, their second-worst streak in history, and it came hard on the heels of failing to get out of their group stage at both the 2023 ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup earlier this summer.
The loss against Bangladesh, which was also Pakistan’s second consecutive whitewash in Tests, after a 0-3 loss in Australia earlier this year, left former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram embarrassed and shocked.
“It’s a huge setback and our cricket is at a crossroads,” the legendary fast bowler told AFP. “For a former player and captain, and a lover of the game, I was left embarrassed at the way they have lost from good positions. I simply don’t get it.
“We are losing consistently on home turf and that says a lot about the quality of our cricket,” added Akram, who played 104 Tests and 356 one-day internationals for Pakistan.
Will Pakistan’s dismissal record at home continue next month?
Since their win against South Africa in December 2021, Pakistan have struggled to record another victory on home turf, losing four matches, which includes England’s first-ever 3-0 series sweep there in 2022, while four ended in a draw.
Incidentally, an in-form England team are Pakistan’s next competitor in Test cricket with the Shan Masood-led side set to host the visitors next month for a three-match contest. And a whitewash could guarantee their ouster from the race to the World Test Championship final.
“People have started to hate cricket,” former international player and regional coach Basit Ali told AFP.
“Bangladesh has shown us the mirror of what we are at international level. It’s a cliche that wins and losses are part of the game, but this is a seismic shock.”
