Pietersen questions Pakistan's 'standard'

The Men in Green suffered a shocking 10-wicket loss in Rawalpindi

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has expressed concerns about the current state of Pakistan cricket following their heavy defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test at Rawalpindi. Pakistan's 10-wicket loss was a historic setback, marking their first-ever defeat to Bangladesh in Test cricket.

Pietersen, who previously played in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for Quetta Gladiators, took to X (formerly Twitter) to question what has gone wrong with Pakistan cricket. He recalled the high standards of the PSL during his time, praising the local players and their work ethic. However, he expressed his surprise at the recent decline in performance, particularly in the wake of such a disappointing loss.

"What happened to cricket in Pakistan? When I played the PSL, the standard of that league was tremendous, the players had a very good work ethic and the youngsters on display were magic.

"What's happening there?" he asked.

The match raised many eyebrows, particularly regarding Pakistan's team selection. Despite scoring a solid 448-6 in the first innings, Pakistan opted for an all-pace attack, which failed to deliver as Bangladesh posted a commanding 565 runs, largely thanks to a superb 191 from Mushfiqur Rahim. The game, which seemed destined for a draw, took a dramatic turn as Pakistan crumbled in their second innings, managing only 146 runs. Bangladesh then chased down the modest target of 30 runs with ease, sealing a historic win.

Hafeez takes a jab at Naqvi

Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has sharply criticized PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi following Pakistan's unexpected defeat to Bangladesh in the first match of the ongoing Test series in Rawalpindi.

Hafeez took to social media platform 'X' to address Naqvi's 'surgery' remarks that he made after the national team's disappointing 2024 T20 World Cup campaign in the USA and West Indies.

The former all-rounder also congratulated the Bangladesh team for their historic first-ever Test victory over Pakistan, ending a 12-match losing streak.

"Bangladesh Cricket Team has played wonderfully, and have held their ground throughout the match. It is a historic win for they have won against Pakistan for the first time. Heartiest Congratulations to them!" Hafeez posted. Recently, PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi had also congratulated Bangladesh on their victory while expressing support for the Pakistan team.

"Bangladesh Cricket Team has played wonderfully, and have held their ground throughout the match. It is a historic win for they have won against Pakistan for the first time. Heartiest Congratulations to them! Unfortunately, Pakistan Cricket Team could not perform as well as it should have. InshaAllah the men in green would make a comeback in the upcoming match," Naqvi had tweeted.

In response to his tweet, Hafeez revisited Naqvi's previous "surgery" comment made after the 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. He posted on X, "Surgery is on till death...."

The second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh is set to be held from August 30 to September 3 at the same venue.

'New low for Pakistan'

Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has sharply criticized the state of Pakistan cricket following their historic defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test at Rawalpindi.

Shehzad described the loss as unprecedented and a new low for Pakistani cricket.

"Pakistan cricket has reached a point where today Bangladesh defeated Pakistan on home soil for the first time ever. I have never seen Pakistan cricket sink so low in my life. This is a new low that Pakistan has hit, which I have never seen in my life" Shehzad said.

Shehzad believes that Pakistan will struggle to recover from this defeat, comparing it to the lingering impact of their loss to Afghanistan.

"And Pakistan will find it very difficult to recover from this defeat, just like they haven't been able to recover from the defeat against Afghanistan to this day. Similarly, Pakistan will struggle to bounce back from this defeat. We had said this before. If you make short-term decisions, the Pakistan team is already heading towards zero, just like hockey's situation. But we didn't expect that you would even lose to Bangladesh. Today, you've shown that as well," he further added.