Pakistan’s former cricketer Rashid Latif expressed disappointment following the defeat against Bangladesh on Sunday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The former wicketkeeper batter highlighted Pakistan’s declining fast-bowling strength.
Drawing comparison, the veteran player said that the decrease in the speed of bowling has impacted the performance of the team.
"There were days when defeats against a team like Bangladesh would rankle, and shock us. We were a formidable team and it was not easy to beat us. In 2003, they came close to beating us thrice in three Tests. We ended up winning the series 3-0. The aura of invincibility at home is gone. We have lost five in the last nine games at home," said Latif to Cricbuzz.
"The world knows that pace used to be our strength but our top fast bowlers no longer bowl at breakneck pace. It was the root cause of the defeat yesterday (at Rawalpindi on Sunday). Their speeds have come down drastically. If they are carrying injuries, they should reveal that. Shaheen (Afridi), Naseem (Shah), and Khurram (Shahzad) started off with pace of 145. They all have come down to 130."
The 55-year-old praised India’s Jasprit Bumrah, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins, and England's Jofra Archer, and said that they returned after a long hiatus, but their performance remained same.
Speaking to the Cricbuzz, the former batter said that the reason Pakistani bowlers are slowing down is that our support staff is not doing a proper job.
“A bowler of 144 kmph speed has come down to 128 kmph," he remarked.
Latif criticized Pakistan's decision to declare their first innings at 448/6, believing they should have aimed for a higher total.
"The five-day matches are different from the ODIs and the T20Is. Every session is different in a Test. Bangladesh adapted well. We no longer have quality spinners like we used to, so turning tracks are no longer an option. Instead, we relied on pace, but the tactics backfired.
Additionally, Latif called the Tigers’ Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan as quality spinners.
- Rashid Latif
