Former captain Rashid Latif has expressed disappointment over the declining pace of Pakistan’s fast bowlers after their humiliating Test defeat against Bangladesh. Pakistan suffered their first-ever defeat against Bangladesh in Tests when they succumbed to a 10-wicket defeat in the opening Test of the two-match series, underway in Rawalpindi. Following the defeat, several strategies came under question; such as going with an all-pace attack, declaration and batting failure in the second innings. Pakistan, after being put into bat first, accumulated 448/6 and declared their first innings in the dying minutes of the second day. Bangladesh, in response, piled up a mammoth total of 565, courtesy of Mushfiqur Rahim’s marathon 191-run knock, before bundling out in the third session of the fourth day.

The first Test was assumed to be heading towards a draw but Pakistan’s batting lineup faltered against Bangladesh’s spinners on the final day and could score 146, setting the visitors a meagre 30-run target. Rashid Latif expressed that in the past, Pakistan was a dominant force in cricket when playing at home and could easily overpower teams like Bangladesh. However, the recent performances are barely a shadow of the past.  “There were days when defeats against a team like Bangladesh would rankle, and shock us. We were a formidable team and it was not easy to beat us. In 2003, they came close to beating us thrice in three Tests. We ended up winning the series 3-0. The aura of invincibility at home is gone. We have lost five in the last nine games at home,” said the former wicketkeeper while talking to Cricbuzz. Rashid then criticized Pakistan’s pace bowlers, describing their below-par performance as a significant factor contributing to the team’s defeat.

“The world knows that pace used to be our strength but our top fast bowlers no longer bowl at breakneck pace. It was the root cause of the defeat [against Bangladesh],” he added. “Their speeds have come down drastically. If they are carrying injuries, they should reveal that. Shaheen (Afridi), Naseem (Shah), and Khurram (Shahzad) started off with a pace of 145. They all have come down to 130.” The former captain also put the blame on the team’s support staff for the management of pace bowlers. He cited examples of England’s Jofra Archer and India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who came back stronger from injuries, unlike Pakistan’s pace bowlers “Our trainers and physios are to blame. If you look at a Jofra Archer, he comes back after two years of hiatus but does not lose a yard in his pace. Same with Jasprit Bumrah — he comes back from an operation and bowls with the same velocity,” he further added.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan