Ahmed Shehzad has slammed Pakistani players shot selection in the 2nd Test against Bangladesh. (Picture Credit: Screengrab, AP)
Pakistani batters failed to fire in the second innings of the ongoing second Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and as a result, the hosts could only manage to score 172 runs.
Out of favour, Pakistani batter Ahmed Shehzad has slammed Pakistani batters for their poor shot selection in the ongoing second Test against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and said that they are not learning from their mistakes.
“Bangladeshi bowlers strike back. And the Bangladeshi bowlers have once again made the Pakistani batsmen dance to their tunes. The same shot selections that we have been talking about. The T20 shots—we have seen them once again. The bat of the batsman is going so far away from his bat. In T20 cricket or in T10 cricket as well, when a player gets out like this, the coaches ask that this was too much. You are getting out by hitting these shots in Test cricket. You are not learning from your mistakes. Maybe you don’t have the charm or the skills. Or maybe we are making a mistake by putting expectations on you. Or this nation is making a mistake by putting expectations on you. That you are playing with their emotions like this,” he said in a video shared on X.
According to him, Bangladesh’s 10-wicket win in the first Test last month wasn’t a fluke, as they have produced a super show in the second match as well and are now on the cusp of winning the second Test.
The visitors dismissed Pakistan for 172 runs in the second inning on Monday (September 2) and now need only 143 more runs on the fifth and final day of the match to seal a historic series win against Pakistan in Pakistan.
“The Bangladesh cricket Test team has come here. They have defeated you in the first match and made history. After that, they are dominating in the second match as well. This means that this is not a fluke. When you lose to Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, or Ireland, these things are not a fluke. This is the reality of Pakistan cricket. You have brought Pakistan cricket to this level.”
Shehzad has, however, refused to blame players entirely for the poor state of Pakistan cricket and said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is equally responsible.
“I don’t call the players responsible for this. The PCB is equally responsible as the players. Because some things were right in front of us. We had to take some decisions. But we did the same thing that we do every time. We tried to distract the public by talking on TV. After that, we thought that Bangladesh cricket will come. We will definitely defeat them. When we defeat them, the public’s anger will cool down. Then when will we start the Pakistan Cup? Your entire plan has been reversed and has fallen on your face,” he added.