Daily Times

In years to come, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will be taught as an excellent case study to the Tigers. After all, for a country that has only won two test series away from home pitches, whitewashing the once-formidable Men in Green and walking away from their pitch with an unbelievable 2-0 should be remembered as a worthy lesson.

The recent series has left the cricketing world in shock largely because no one could, even in their wildest dreams, expect the seemingly favourite team to suffer such a catastrophic defeat, especially in the light of claims by the PCB management to clean up its house and ensure a splendid performance. However, the strong lineup and big claims turned out to be a textbook case of all bluff and bluster as early as the first ball of the match when most of the players seemed out of touch; lacking the coordination needed to defeat a resilient team. If the first match was all about the entire batting lineup failing to float in the Bay of Bengal, Tuesday saw another spirited show from Bangladesh, who managed to pull off an incredible comeback from 26-6 to pin the hosts in their backyard.

Going by detailed explanations from Shaheens and a rare no-mincing presser by Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, hope was still high for Pakistan to salvage some pride. However, lipservice alone stood no chance as Bangladesh outclassed Pakistan in all departments, with their batsmen showcasing remarkable resilience and their bowlers dismantling the Pakistani batting order with great ease.

The aftermath of the series has been nothing short of a disaster for Pakistan cricket. Critics have not held back in their scathing assessment of the team management, with some, like Ramiz Raja, calling for an explanation from red-ball captain Shan Masood. Whatever happens next, surgically or otherwise, this barren run will continue to haunt our international rankings.

Instead of squandering precious resources with controversial appointments, it would do well for all stakeholders to realise that Pakistani cricket is grinding to a halt, and thus, heat-of-the-moment decisions or political games cannot sustain the ship any longer. The sport may have a rich legacy to uphold, but what good are these marvels when the current players and the management can’t find it among themselves to work on a consistent line of action to at least take the sting out of the downfall if not aim for quality cricket? *