Bangladesh upset a formidable home team with a clinical ten-wicket display in the first Test — their first win in over 14 encounters against Pakistan, as Afridi struggled to find his rhythm through much of the innings.
Now former Pakistan batsman Ahmad Shahzad has questioned the decision to drop Afridi from the team.
Taking to his official X handle, Ahmad Shahzad said in a video, “You first lost to Zimbabwe, then lost to Ireland, lost to USA, lost to India, now you have lost to Bangladesh as well. Is Shaheen Afridi only responsible for all these defeats? No, he is not solely responsible. All should be questioned who were involved in these defeats. Tell this country. Holding Shaheen Afridi alone responsible for all the defeats is wrong. Look at his performances, there’s a problem in his attitude, you dropped him, that’s fine. But what about others? What about their performances? What is the performance of Abdullah Shafique in the last 8 matches? You have brought in Saim Ayub back after 25 matches, what’s his performance? What’s the performance of Babar Azam in the last 14 innings in Tests?”
“So by dropping only Afridi will not Pakistan on the right track, you will have to take some harsh decisions. And those who have been involved in these defeats with poor performances should also be questioned. They also should be held accountable, because nobody is beiger than cricket or the country. Country comes first, everything comes after that. No matter how are their public relations, no matter how much they hide behind their personal milestones, no matter how much money they put in, but we know everything and those who are at the helm of affairs in the PCB, their also know everything. So the time has come that not just one, if you really want to move in the right direction, question all those who have been involved. Things will not work like this,” Ahmad Shahzad said.
Pakistan have been struggling through a lean spell of late, bowing out early in this year’s T20 World Cup. Their last Test series was a whitewash in a three-match tour to Australia.
The home team have recalled spinner Abrar Ahmed after going with an all-pace attack in the first Test.
Former Australian pacer Gillespie admitted it will be a challenge to square the series, but he backed under-pressure skipper Shan Masood who failed with the bat with six and 14 in the first match, and has lost all four of his Tests as captain.
Pakistan were rattled by the Bangladesh response to their first-innings total of 448-6 declared, crumbling for a paltry 146 in their second outing.
A brilliant 191 by Mushfiqur Rahim on a flat Rawalpindi pitch helped the visitors rack up their highest-ever total against Pakistan of 565 to take a crucial 117-run first-innings lead.
Spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4-21) and Shakib Al Hasan (3-44) then rocked the hosts and made them rue not playing a frontline spinner.
Since gaining Test status in 2000, Bangladesh have only won two of their 32 overseas series with wins in the West Indies (2009) and Zimbabwe (2021), drawing three and losing 27.
Bangladesh’s pace attack will be boosted by the return of experienced Taskin Ahmed who recovered from a shoulder injury but will have a tie with Nahid Rana for a place in the eleven.
Squads:
Pakistan: Shan Masood (C), Saud Shakeel (VC), Abrar Ahmed, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed