Ex-cricketers blast dismal Pak show in 2nd Test

Former cricketers Sikandar Bakht and Rashid Latif expressed disappointment over Pakistan’s poor performance in the second and final Test against the West Indies, which ended in a 120-run defeat.The loss not only leveled the series 1-1 but also handed the Caribbean side their first win on Pakistani soil since 1990.In a recent interview, Bakht criticized Pakistan’s over-reliance on spin bowlers throughout the series. He questioned whether it was the right strategy to field only spinners, arguing that “no team can win by playing with just one approach; variation is necessary.””A team of 11 players should have fast bowlers, spinners, and all-rounders. You beat England this way, but they were unprepared. Now, every team that comes to Pakistan will be prepared for the spinning attack. This way of playing is not the correct approach; you need variation. Fast bowlers should have been included in the middle,” he said.The 67-year-old also expressed confusion over Shan Masood’s comments regarding the team’s lack of preparedness for the conditions, stating, “I don’t understand why Shan Masood said, ‘We were not ready for these conditions.’ What does that even mean? It seems like he wasn’t ready to play in these conditions himself, and he’s admitting it.”Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif also weighed in on the matter, attributing the team’s struggles to persistent issues with batting. He also criticized the team’s lack of preparation and failure to adapt to challenges.”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,” said Rashid.Both Bakht and Latif agreed that Pakistan’s cricket management needs significant improvements.The former captain cited poor planning, frequent changes, and ineffective selection committees as the root causes of the team’s struggles.Sikandar echoed these sentiments, suggesting that fast bowlers should have been included in the squad. He also mentioned that players like Sajid Khan, who could be valuable in ODIs, are being overlooked.”The real issues are clear: poor planning, too many changes, and clueless selection committees,” Rashid stated.On the subject of domestic cricket, both Bakht and Latif raised concerns about top players, including Babar Azam, not participating in domestic matches.”Players like Babar Azam have low averages in home matches, and that’s concerning,” Sikandar remarked. Rashid added that even in India, players like Virat Kohli face criticism for not playing enough domestic cricket.