Pakistan’s cricket team has come under fire from former batter Basit Ali following their humiliating defeat to England in the first Test of the three-match series in Multan. The loss marked Pakistan’s sixth consecutive Test defeat, extending their winless streak to 10 matches in the format.
Ali, in a viral rant on his YouTube channel, expressed his disgust with the team’s performance, labeling it as “shameful.” He questioned the place of star batter Babar Azam in the team, urging the selectors to drop him. Azam has not scored a Test century in over two years, and Ali believes that any other player would have been dropped long ago.
“Babar Azam needs rest. He should be the one saying, ‘I need to rest’. It’s been 18 innings without a significant performance. Any other player would have been dropped after three games, like Fawad Alam. This is the harsh reality. Babar should reduce his stance. It’s too wide now. The whole world is laughing. Is this how you play?” Ali said.
Ali also criticized captain Shan Masood, suggesting that he should be opening the batting instead of playing at number three. He questioned Masood’s credentials as captain, saying, “I’ve always maintained that Shan is an opener and should be opening. But he played at number three. Now what will happen? Who will you drop? He should play in his rightful position. He doesn’t even understand captaincy. What has become of this cricket team? It’s shameful.”
The loss to England continues a painful stretch for Pakistan and will likely increase the pressure on Masood, who is reportedly set to be sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The win is England’s fourth consecutive Test triumph on Pakistan soil, after a 3-0 whitewash two years ago. England had only won two away Tests against Pakistan in the previous 61 years.
