Former cricketers Sikandar Bakht and Rashid Latif lamented Pakistan’s 120-run loss in the second and final Test against the West Indies.
The loss tied the series and gave the Caribbean team their first win in Pakistan since 1990. Bakht blasted Pakistan’s spin bowling overuse during the series in a recent interview. He questioned fielding solely spinners, saying “no team can win by playing with just one approach; variation is necessary.”
“A 11-man squad needs quick bowlers, spinners, and all-rounders. You defeated England, but they were unprepared. All visiting teams to Pakistan will now be prepared for spinning attacks. This style of play is wrong; you need variety. He suggested putting fast bowlers in the middle.
Shan Masood’s statements on the team’s unpreparedness confused the 67-year-old, “I don’t understand why he said, ‘We were not ready for these conditions.'” Just what does that mean? He admits he wasn’t ready to play in these conditions.”
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif also blamed batting issues for the team’s struggles. He also criticised the team’s unpreparedness and inflexibility.
“We won three out of four matches, but nobody talks about the losses, including 12 Test matches where Shan captained and lost nine, including two against Bangladesh,” he remarked.
Bakht and Latif agreed that Pakistan’s cricket management needs improvement. The former captain blamed inadequate preparation, frequent changes, and inefficient selecting committees for the team’s difficulties.
Sikandar agreed, adding the side should have featured fast bowlers. He also noted that ODI players like Sajid Khan are being overlooked.
“The real issues are clear: poor planning, too many changes, and clueless selection committees,” he said.
Bakht and Latif worried about elite players like Babar Azam missing domestic matches.
“Players like Babar Azam have low averages in home matches, and that’s concerning,” he said. Rashid stated that Virat Kohli gets criticised for not playing enough domestic cricket in India.
