Pakistan Cricket in Crisis - Failure steak at home in Test cricket

Pakistan has experienced some extended periods of home defeats without a win. It appears that Pakistan cricket is currently going through a crisis.

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By Emilia Blake
New Update
Pakistan Cricket

Source: Business Standard

It appears like Pakistan cricket is currently going through a crisis. They were humiliated by Bangladesh in a home Test series after failing to advance to the Super 8s phases of the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies in June. The way the defeats have come about has been very startling. In the first Test match, Pakistan lost despite declaring at 448/6, while in the second, they lost despite having once reduced Bangladesh to 26/6. Both Tests were contested at Rawalpindi.

Pakistan has now lost six and drawn four of their past ten home Test matches, snapping a losing record that dates back to 2022. This losing streak also includes a 0–3 humiliation at the hands of England in late 2022—the only other occasion Pakistan has been completely destroyed in a home Test series. Following their humiliations at the hands of Bangladesh at home and Australia away, Pakistan's chances of making it to the WTC final are likewise all but gone.

Is Pakistan cricket in trouble?

Pakistan's home winless run began with their 1959 series against the West Indies. After winning the first two Tests in Dhaka and Karachi, they lost an innings in Lahore but still won the three-match series 2-1. but had to wait over five years to triumph in another Test match at home.

Later in the year, they faced Australia in their next series. After losing in Dhaka and Karachi, Pakistan managed to salvage a tie in the third Test of the series at Lahore. Pakistan hosted England for a second 3-Test series later in 1961–1962, losing the first in Lahore and drawing the second and third matches in Karachi and Dhaka.

When Australia travelled to Pakistan in 2022 for a three-match series, another streak began. The first two Test matches, held in Rawalpindi and Karachi, were criticized for having extremely flat and lifeless pitches. Pakistan came dangerously near to victory despite Babar Azam's fourth-inning 196 at Karachi, but they were unable to complete the task. In contrast, Australia's bowling display in the third Test in Lahore proved to be effective as they won the series 1-0.

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