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Former Pakistan batter Ahmad Shahzad criticized the team as unfit for Test cricket after their humiliating home series loss to Bangladesh. Already struggling in recent months, Pakistan reached a new low by losing both Tests to the lower-ranked Bangladesh team in Rawalpindi.
Shan Masood's team faced heavy criticism after losing the series opener, their first-ever Test defeat to Bangladesh. Despite this, they showed little improvement, particularly in their batting, leading to a six-wicket loss in the second Test. Shahzad posted a video on his X handle, where he said, "Bangladesh has whitewashed Pakistan in their own home conditions. You don't know how to play, you're not capable enough to play. All their practice sessions have also been conducted after they arrived in Pakistan. The condition their country was in at that moment of time was also not that good. They have come to Pakistan and have outplayed you without breaking a sweat." The 10-wicket victory in the first match marked Bangladesh's maiden Test win over Pakistan. A repeat of this performance in the second Test solidified a historic achievement for the team. Pakistan had Bangladesh under pressure in both Tests but failed to take advantage, leading to their downfall in the second innings. In the recently concluded second Test, Pakistan scored 274 and had Bangladesh struggling at 26/6 in their first innings. However, they allowed Bangladesh to recover, with Litton Das scoring a brilliant century and Mehidy Hasan adding a crucial 78, bringing their total to 262. Pakistan then collapsed to just 172 in their second innings, similar to their 146 all-out in the first Test, making it easier for Bangladesh to secure another win. This series victory is also Bangladesh's first Test series win (of two matches or more) against a team other than Zimbabwe and the West Indies, according to the ICC. The win has boosted Bangladesh in the ICC World Test Championship standings, propelling them to No. 4 with a points percentage of 45.83, leapfrogging England. "The manner in which they played their cricket, the way they dominated, the approach with which they batted, the style in which they bowled.....Their batters have displayed the unwavering spirit one requires to succeed in Test cricket. Their bowlers have demonstrated the channels in which one should bowl, and all you were left is blaming the pitch," said Shahzad. Ahmad Shahzad praised Bangladesh for their strong batting spirit and excellent bowling during the two-Test series. (ANI)
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