‘What’s happening there?’ - Kevin Pietersen reacts to Pakistan’s series of disasters after humiliating loss to Bangladesh

Pakistan were once a powerhouse in international cricket along with teams like India, Australia, England and New Zealand. While the rest of the teams continue to shine, the Men in Green have failed to build momentum and are now in a state of alarming decline. 

Pakistan cricket has gone through a lean patch over the past 12 months. They were knocked out of the 2023 Asia Cup early and failed to make it to the semi-finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup after a humiliating loss to Afghanistan. Pakistan hit their lowest point when they lost to associate nation USA in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they made another early exit. 

The format kept changing but the outcome was the same for Pakistan. The string of embarrassments now took a pause with a 10-wicket loss to Bangladesh at home in Rawalpindi on Sunday (August 25). This was Pakistan's first-ever Test defeat against the Bangla Tigers and it invited a massive backlash from the cricket fraternity. 

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What happened to cricket in Pakistan?: Pietersen 

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has expressed concern over the Men in Green's disappointing performances over the past few months. He slammed the intent of Pakistan cricket on social media after Bangladesh’s historic win. 

"What happened to cricket in Pakistan? When I played the PSL, the standard of that league was tremendous, the players had a very good work ethic and the youngsters on display were magic. What’s happening there?" wrote Pietersen. 

There are a lot of things that can be attributed to Pakistan’s defeat. Their first-innings declaration at 448/6 when keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was nearing his double hundred already sparked a controversy. While Bangladesh spinners took seven wickets in the second innings, the fact that Pakistan played without a frontline spinner was quite interesting to note. 

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