Islamabad [Pakistan], August 30 (ANI): Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammed Yousaf slammed Pakistan coaches for their failure to work on technical flaws of Pakistan batters, saying that the poor technique has been "brutally exposed from Bangladesh to England" and has left Pakistan cricket "vulnerable and struggling".
Unless a masterclass comes from a recognised set of batters, Pakistan is left staring at a series loss against England, having already lost three wickets at lunch at Lord's while chasing 389 runs. The highlights were skipper Babar Azam being bounced out by Jofra Archer for single digits and Abdullah Shafique being beaten by Ollie Robinson's brilliance that has lit up the whole series so far.
Posting on X, the former Pakistan batter, who scored 7,530 Test runs in 90 Tests with 24 tons, said that coaches did not allow Babar and other players to work on their issues that could have been resolved, and that has left Pakistan cricket in decline. He also cautioned if the players do not learn who to listen to, their careers will meet a premature end.
"Few years ago I warned about this, but unfortunately some so-called coaches around #Babarazam & other players didn't allow him to work on issues that could have been easily resolved. That failure has dragged Pakistan cricket into the decline we see today. These coaches are poison for the game. They lack vision, they block progress, and they misguide even the most talented players," he said.
"If our cricketers don't learn who to listen to, their careers will end far sooner than they should. The poor technique of our players has now been brutally exposed from Bangladesh to England. What could have been corrected years ago has instead become a glaring weakness, leaving Pakistan cricket vulnerable and struggling on the international stage. #EngvPak #nasserhussain," he added.
Few years ago I warned about this, but unfortunately some so called coaches around #Babarazam & other players didn’t allow him to work on issues that could have been easily resolved. That failure has dragged Pakistan cricket into the decline we see today.
These coaches are… pic.twitter.com/Go9kNc7abu
At the end of the first session of day four at Lord's, Pakistan was 53/3, chasing 389 runs to win and level the series. Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first, bundling out England for 290 runs, with fifties coming from Jamie Smith (61) and Jordan Cox (55), and Mohammed Abbas (4/73) and Mohammad Ali (3/86) being among the top wicket-takers.
Pakistan were skittled out for 110 in their first innings, with Azan Awais (46) being the only batter to cross the 20-run mark. Ollie Robinson (4/11) and Jofra Archer (3/26) bowled scorching spells. England led by 180 runs.
While Mohammed Abbas took a five-for in the second innings, England made 208 in their second innings, with a half-century from Dan Lawrence (54) being the highlight. England extended their lead to 388 runs, giving Pakistan 389 runs to level the series.
Since 2024, Pakistan have 12 of their 17 Tests, winning just five. This includes a series loss to Bangladesh at home and their first-ever series loss to Bangladesh and away this year. They have also struggled at home, failing to win a series at home except for a comeback win over England in 2024.
Pakistan stands at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings, with two wins and five losses. They had also finished at the bottom in the 2025-29 cycle, with five wins and nine losses. (ANI)
