There have been numerous opinions about Pakistan following the team’s lacklustre show in the first two games of the ongoing three-match Test series against England. A lot has unfolded since the second Test at Lord's, where Pakistan crashed to a 194-run defeat, exposing the vulnerabilities in the team’s batting and bowling departments. In the aftermath of the Lord’s defeat, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made sweeping changes to the squad, with seven members of the touring party, as well as head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, being sent home.
Sarfaraz, who took charge in April, was replaced by Mike Hesson, who is already serving as Pakistan’s white-ball coach. Bowling coach Umar Gul was replaced by Ashley Noffke. Now, sharing his views on Pakistan’s shambolic tour, former South Africa captain AB De Villiers pointed out that Pakistan lacked the fight needed to overcome challenges in Test cricket.
“I don't often currently see a lot of Pakistan players individually being prepared to put in those extra hard yards. Especially with the batting unit. Not enough, what's the word, guts. Fight. It doesn't always have to be pretty. Lots of soft wickets, and that's what it comes down to. It's a decision that you make,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
“It's sometimes ugly and terribly difficult to watch. If I played for my ego, I probably would have been a different player. It was always about how much character I could show out here today. It always felt like a threat to my character from the opposition. That's the way I decided to play the situation,” he added.
Not once did Pakistan reach 200 in any of their four innings, with players like Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique failing to make any impact.
“I always felt that Test cricket is a test of your character. And that’s maybe what Pakistan is lacking at the moment: a bit of character, a bit of fight, and an individual leadership group of four or five players who decide together, “You know what? Let’s be the leaders here and show the guys. Let’s be the example. Let’s show the youngsters what it takes to win Test matches, or ODIs, or T20s,” he said.
AB De Villiers also asserted that the turmoil in the PCB also contributed to the team’s shambolic show.
“Also, a bit of mismanagement from the top. Lots of chopping and changing. Lots of changes in leadership. Babar is back now. So hopefully he gets an extended run, stays fit, and starts scoring runs again like we all know he can. And for his fellow teammates to start following that lead,” said de Villiers.
“So that's my long and short on Pakistan cricket. Hopefully they'll make their way back to the form and to the team that we know they can be in all formats of the game,” he said.