Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram has expressed his deep disappointment following Pakistan’s historic defeat against Bangladesh in the second Test on September 3 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
“It’s a huge setback and our cricket is at a crossroads,” Akram said in an interview with AFP.
Before the series, Pakistan was ranked sixth in the world, but the two consecutive losses have seen them drop to eighth place in the rankings, falling below the West Indies with 76 rating points.
The “Sultan of Swing” voiced his frustration with the team’s performance under Shan Masood’s leadership, stating that he felt embarrassed watching the matches.
“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,” he said.
Akram emphasized his concerns about the team’s form, especially in home games, adding that the continuous defeats reflect the current state of Pakistan cricket.
“We are losing consistently on home turf, and that says a lot about the quality of our cricket,” he concluded.
Pakistan has now lost five consecutive Test matches – three against Australia and two against Bangladesh – as part of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC). Additionally, the national team faced earlier disappointments, failing to advance beyond the group stages in both the ODI and T20 World Cups last year.
Pakistan’s recent struggles have extended beyond Test cricket, with defeats against Afghanistan in an ODI and the USA in a T20 International.
Looking ahead, Pakistan will take on England in their next Test series, which is part of the current ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25.
The series will start with the first Test scheduled from October 7 to 11 in Multan, followed by the second Test from October 15 to 19 in Karachi, and the third Test from October 24 to 28 in Rawalpindi.
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