Pakistan’s historic defeat to Bangladesh on home soil has sparked widespread criticism, with former players questioning the future of cricket in the country. After both teams posted impressive first-innings totals, the first Test in Rawalpindi appeared to be heading for a draw. However, Pakistan’s dramatic collapse in their second innings left Bangladesh needing just 30 runs to secure victory.
They accomplished this with 10 wickets to spare—the largest margin of victory in Test history for Bangladesh—and are now on the brink of a historic Test series win in Pakistan. England batting legend Kevin Pietersen has raised concerns about the current players’ work ethic, drawing comparisons with his own experience in the Pakistan Super League.
“What has happened to cricket in Pakistan?” Pietersen questioned on his social media account X on Monday. “When I played in the PSL, the league’s standard was outstanding. The players had a strong work ethic, and the young talents on display were exceptional.”
This marks the first time Bangladesh has defeated Pakistan in 14 Tests, having previously lost 12 matches to them.
The loss is likely to trouble Pakistan cricket for some time, especially since it occurred on home soil after they had declared their first innings at 448/6.
Pakistan has faced severe criticism for their decision to field without a specialist spinner, relying solely on their pacers despite the significant impact of Bangladeshi spinners on the match. Pakistan was dismissed for 146 in their second innings, with Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz claiming seven wickets between them.
“We expected the pitch to offer more assistance to the seamers,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said after the match. “Given the pitch conditions, we anticipated more seam movement. If we had played three fast bowlers, we would have stretched them to their limits, with the spinner potentially having to bowl 25-30 overs a day, which we wanted to avoid. We also considered that the weather might not allow for a full five days of play. In the end, we got it wrong.”
