Pakistan’s recent troubles in Test cricket showcase ongoing problems that hurt the team’s worldwide performance. Their latest loss against Bangladesh, a team on a high after a big win, shows how far Pakistan has dropped in this extended version of the game. So far, Pakistan has lost five straight Test games and reaching ten games without a win at home. The issues for Pakistan has become worse due to poor planning, short notice scheduling, and a flawed local system. All this leaves players unprepared for the tough demands of ICC World Test Championship
READ MORE: Century from Joe Root Leads England to Dominant Day at Lord’s Test
A Lack of Preparation and Planning for the ICC World Test Championship
The preparation in Pakistan for the England series isn’t clear. As the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) promotes their high-profile ICC World Test Champions Cup, a white-ball tournament, their cricket team’s readiness for the Test seems upside down. Instead of working on a red-ball training camp or early staging of the domestic Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the players are caught up in one-day games. These games have hardly any connection to the upcoming Test series.
Test captain Shan Masood compared this scattered method to “studying science when you have a math test coming up.”
The PCB’s choice to not have any long-term training camps or to focus on red-ball cricket shows a bigger problem in Pakistan cricket. Further their inability to plan ahead with misplaced priorities lost in translation. When England comes for the Test series, Pakistan’s players, many struggling with their form, will have lost key chances to get used to red-ball conditions.
READ MORE :Shakib will continue Playing for Bangladesh Despite Alleged Murder Allegations
The Impact of Domestic Cricket Scheduling on ICC World Test Championship
Pakistan’s leading homegrown red-ball event, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, has deepened the team’s challenges. It’s usually the lifeline for grooming players, providing a key link between domestic and international matches. But, this year, the contest will kick off in October, clashing with the England series. This leaves players without serious red-ball play before they engage with one of the world’s top Test teams.
The PCB has thrown plenty into the Champions Cup, but long-format cricket is gathering dust. Regularity is missing in Pakistan’s home seasons; leaving players scrambling to find their footing, with scant chances to hone their Test cricket abilities.
Shan Masood is a standout, pocketing extensive red-ball experience just in time for this season, thanks to the County Championship. Few others, Saim Ayub, Saud Shakeel, and Salman Ali Agha included, have few long-format matches under their belts.
Consequently, half plus one of Pakistan’s top seven Test swing batters are wobbling on shaky form as the England series looms.
READ MORE: Dawid Malan Retires from International Cricket After Stellar Career
The Middle-Order Paradox
Oddly enough, Pakistan’s Test middle lineup is the beacon of hope despite glaring problems. In batting order, number five to seven held the highest average during the ICC World Test Championship season, surpassing other groups. This achievement largely rests on players such as Salman Ali Agha and Saud Shakeel, able to keep good form close to first-class cricket. Combined, they tackled more than a third of the red balls that Pakistan’s hitters encountered since 2021. This shows that red-ball cricket’s importance in preserving good form remains intact.
Even though one win happened, it didn’t make up for the team’s widespread issues. Pakistan’s batters had a tough time in Bangladesh. Not enough practice in advanced-level cricket showed a glaring problem.
Bangladesh didn’t play any pro-level red-ball cricket before the series. Yet, they brought in a batting lineup with more seasoned players. Skilled players like Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan were their mainstay.
ICC World Test Championship: PCB’s Failure to Prioritize Test Cricket
Pakistan’s local cricket framework is unquestionably strained. The PCB can’t seem to keep it running smoothly, leading it to a point where it might just crumble. The esteemed sport of Test cricket is being overlooked. Quick-money-making shorter formats are being favored. The PCB seems too caught up with projects like the Champions Cup. Such a situation leaves Pakistan unfit to take part in the ICC World Test Championship. Furthermore, the outcome so far, are pretty evident too.
A cloud of uncertainty now surrounds Shan Masood’s leadership in Test cricket. Whispers suggest he might not be captain even at kick-off of the England series! But simply swapping out Masood won’t stop the avalanche of subpar performances.
The crux of the problem? The PCB’s lackluster effort to help players sharpen their red-ball techniques. Unless there’s first-class cricket on a regular basis and a solid strategy to merge it into the international line-up, Pakistani Test-match challenges seem likely to continue.
BET NOW in ICC World Test Championship and more with India’s largest online betting platform.
Conclusion
Pakistan’s cricket has hit a rut due to the PCB’s faulty handling of Test matches. Its focus on shorter games has deprived the team of the skills for playing longer ones. This neglect of underlying problems could worsen Pakistan’s Test performance further. The future series with England might just add to their challenging journey in cricket.
English