Head coach Sarfaraz blasts Pakistan players after Test series defeat to Bangladesh
Mumbai, May 12
Pakistan's abysmal 2-0 whitewash in Bangladesh has left head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed fuming with anger at his players in a team meeting after the Sylhet defeat, a news report has claimed.
Pakistan suffered a second successive 2-0 clean sweep at the hands of Bangladesh, following their defeat at home by the same margin two years ago.
"After the 58-run defeat in the second Test, head coach Sarfaraz blasted the players for their individual game and scoring runs for themselves, and that happened before a full squad meeting with manager Naveed Cheema and other staff present," sources told Telecom Asia Sport on Saturday.
"Players should play for the team and not for themselves," Sarfaraz was quoted as saying to his players, especially to the batters.
None of the Pakistan batters could score 200 runs in the four innings of the series, with young debutant Azan Awais the only one to score a century.
"It is noted that players were playing for themselves. It is good to give individual performance, but it should help the team and not the individual," the head coach told the players. "The senior players have failed to take responsibility. Look at other teams and their progress while our team is going backwards," he said.
Sarfaraz, sources told www.telecomasia.net, was not happy with skipper Shan Masood's passive captaincy and lack of decision-making on the field, especially his reluctance to take reviews when the decision could have gone in Pakistan's favour.
Pakistan did not take a review of Mushfiaur Rahim and Litton Das gloving the ball. Das, out on 52, went on to score a brave 126, which helped Bangladesh recover from a precarious 116-6 to 278, adding a big 162 runs for the last four wickets.
Sources said Sarfaraz is likely to continue as head coach for the July tour of the West Indies, where Pakistan play two Tests followed by three in England.
However, Shan Masood is certain to be removed as captain after suffering 12 defeats in 16 Tests. Middle-order batter Agha Salman is tipped to be the favourite to become the next Test skipper.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is what happens when you focus on individual stats instead of team goals. Bangladesh have shown tremendous improvement, and Pakistan are stagnant. Our own Indian team has shown how proper domestic structure and accountability can build champions. Pakistan needs a complete overhaul, not just a new captain! 🇮🇳
I think Sarfaraz is right to be upset, but blaming players after a 2-0 whitewash is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. The system is broken – from PCB politics to poor domestic cricket. Even our Indian fans know that strong opposition makes for better cricket. Hope Pakistan sorts this out soon! 🤞
Watching Pakistan cricket these days feels like watching a slow car crash. 😬 12 defeats in 16 Tests is criminal for a team with that much talent. And Sarfaraz questioning Shan Masood's captaincy? That's rich coming from a coach whose own record as player isn't great. Maybe they should look inwards first.
I get Sarfaraz's frustration, but publicly blasting players won't help. That's a dressing room matter. What really struck me was Litton Das's 126 after being dropped – that's the killer instinct Pakistan are missing. We in India know how hard it is to bounce back from a dropped catch against quality teams. Pakistan need to build mental toughness, not blame each other.
I'm an Australian visiting India, and it's fascinating to see how passionate Indians are about Pakistan's cricket. Back home, we take our sporting rivalries seriously. But honestly, Pakistan's decline is bad for world cricket. Even
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