File image of Pakistan cricket team© AFP
Pakistan cricket team is not looking in great shape. After losing the first Test against Bangladesh, Pakistan is not good touch in the second Test too. Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie acknowledged that Bangladesh were favourites. “The odds are probably in favour of Bangladesh and we don’t shy away from that,” said Gillespie, who is coaching Pakistan for his first series. “We know what can happen, but we took six for 26 in the first innings so we know that we can have an impact with the ball.”
In the midst of this former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has said that the Pakistan team is a divided house.
“If there is a tussle between Babar Azam and Shaheen regarding captaincy then the team won’t do well. So whatever with the team. From there on news started to come in Shaheen did this, Shaheen did that. Then came stories about Babar Azam’s performance and even about Mohammad Rizwan,” Rasid Latif said on Sports Tak.
“After World Cup all the blame was put on Shaheen. It was said his attitude was not right. If his attitude was not right, you could have sent him home. After a World Cup loss is it is easy to blame anybody. The Pakistan Cricket Board took advantage of this situation. At that time there were a lot of talks going on about the Pakistan central contract. Board did not want to hire him. Board took an advantage. They followed the divide and rule policy. And they have been successful. Pakistan team is divided. It is not like what it was one year back.”
Pacemen Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana shared nine wickets on Monday to set Bangladesh on course for victory over Pakistan before rain stopped play on the fourth day of the second Test.
Hasan took 5-43 while Nahid added 4-44 — both career-best figures — in dismissing Pakistan for 172 in their second innings and giving the visitors a target of 185 to secure a 2-0 series win in Rawalpindi. Bangladesh didn’t break much sweat to chase down the target on Day 5.
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