Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has warned the Pakistan national team that their poor performances are costing them the support of their fans. Notably, Pakistan started the England tour with an innings defeat in the first Test.
In the opening Test at Headingley, Pakistan suffered batting collapses of 171 and 135 across both innings. England’s bowlers, led by Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue, claimed eight wickets apiece as the game concluded within three days.
Speaking on a cricket podcast with former England captains Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan, Ramiz said Pakistan’s constant poor performances are resulting in losing a lot of supporters, adding that rebuilding the fan base should be a priority.
“Social media is after them. They’ve already lost a lot of fans. So it’s become a norm when you lose a Test match, it’s become another loss and it means another lot of fans withdrawing from cricket,” Ramiz said in the podcast.
“I think Pakistan needs to give supporters reasons to stay behind them. I have always believed that when you start losing fans and supporters, the first pillar probably has fallen. To become a great side you need to have fans behind you and it is vice-versa,” he added.
In the second Test at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, Pakistan could see the likely return of Babar Azam, who missed the Headingley Test with a finger injury. However, he has resumed full batting practice and faced both fast bowlers and spinners in the nets.
Delving into the details of the first Test, Pakistan got bundled out for 171 runs in 48.1 overs after being tasked to bat first. In reply, England posted an imposing total of 409 runs in 89.5 overs, taking a huge lead. In the third innings, Pakistan got all out for 135 runs as England bagged an innings and 103-run win to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
