Former players left unimpressed despite Test series win

Jalaluddin, Basit Ali both say selectors, management must share the blame

KARACHI: A win in the second Test meant Pakistan won the series 1-0 and held on to the third spot in the rankings, but former player Jalaluddin believes that the tour was one where Pakistan lost a lot but gained nothing in return.

The men in green first suffered their first-ever whitewash against Bangladesh, losing 3-0 in the ODIs, before also losing the solitary T20I.

Many thought Pakistan would hit back and run through their opponents in the two Tests but Bangladesh were able to save the first Test from the jaws of defeat to make Pakistan wait longer still for their first in on the tour.



“Victory is always good but if you look at the whole tour, Pakistan have gained nothing from it; instead we’ve just lost ground,” Jalaluddin told The Express Tribune. “Pakistan lost their reputation and pride, along with the record and the ranking. The recent injury crisis reflects the flaws in our system, while Saeed Ajmal was also exposed. However, I don’t think the board will take any action against anyone, be it selectors or management.”

The new players impressed in flashes but lacked consistency and Jalaluddin was left less than impressed. “There had been a lot of praise for the younger players who came in, but I haven’t been impressed by anyone and Sami Aslam was exposed badly in the Tests,” he added. “I believe Babar Azam is more talented than Sami but he wasn’t even tried.”

‘Bangladesh have not improved, Pakistan played badly’

Others were also critical of Pakistan despite the win in the Test series. Another former cricketer in Basit Ali felt that the results were not due to Bangladesh improving drastically but due to poor showings on Pakistan’s part.



“People are saying that Bangladesh have improved tremendously, but it was Pakistan who played poorly,” claimed Basit. “Pakistan were not up to the mark and that just made it seem like their opponents have progressed.”

The 44-year-old felt the Test series exposed Bangladesh. “Had they improved, Bangladesh would have beaten Pakistan in the Tests as well. The first Test ended in a draw because the pitch was not supportive. The pitch in Dhaka was good and Pakistan won the match.”

Basit further urged the management and the selection committee to bring back Ahmed Shehzad because Pakistan have suffered from to his exclusion, stating that the officials need to improve their man-management as that is a part of their responsibilities. “It is the duty of the team management to look after the players and they are paid handsomely to do so,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2015.

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