Pakistan’s 2-0 Test series defeat to Bangladesh — their second consecutive whitewash at the hands of the same opponents — has drawn a wave of sharp criticism from former players, with concerns stretching well beyond on-field performance into selection, administration and the structural foundations of Pakistani cricket. Bangladesh sealed the series on the final morning of the Sylhet Test, their bowlers wrapping up the last three Pakistan wickets to complete a 78-run victory, dismissing the visitors for 358 in 97.2 overs as they fell short of a 437-run target.
A chase that summed up Pakistan’s series
Taijul Islam was the architect of Pakistan’s collapse, finishing with 6 for 120 in 34.2 overs in a match-winning spin performance that exposed the visitors’ fragility against quality bowling on responsive surfaces. Mohammad Rizwan provided Pakistan’s most significant resistance with 94 off 166 balls, striking 10 boundaries in an innings that kept the chase alive into the fourth day. Sajid Khan contributed 28 off 36 deliveries, hitting five fours as Pakistan attempted a late fightback that ultimately fell well short. Nahid Rana claimed two wickets alongside Taijul, with Shoriful Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz adding one each in a disciplined bowling display that confirmed Bangladesh’s dominance throughout. The result marked Bangladesh’s first-ever Test series win over Pakistan on home soil, building on their 2024 series victory in Rawalpindi and cementing a meaningful shift in the balance of power between the two sides in red-ball cricket.
Bangladesh’s rise built on process, not accident
Former Pakistan Captain Azhar Ali, posting on X, was among the first prominent voices to react after the series concluded. “Congratulations to Bangladesh on a clinical 2-0 series win over Pakistan,” Ali said. He expanded on what the result represented in the context of Bangladesh’s longer development arc, adding: “Outstanding performances throughout the series, backed by excellent sporting pitches that rewarded quality cricket. This success is not overnight — it’s the result of a long process and the work done behind the scenes in developing players, improving systems, and backing them consistently.” Turning to Pakistan’s standing after the defeat, Ali stated: “Pakistan, meanwhile, need improvement in all departments batting, bowling, fielding, and especially match fitness.”
Congratulations to @BCBtigers on a clinical 2-0 series win over Pakistan. Outstanding performances throughout the series, backed by excellent sporting pitches that rewarded quality cricket.
This success is not overnight it’s the result of a long process and the work done behind…
— Azhar Ali (@AzharAli_) May 20, 2026
Pakistan’s performance leaves former stars searching for answers
Another former Pakistan Captain, Wasim Akram delivered an equally candid verdict on X after the series wrapped up. “Really disappointed to see Pakistan beaten for the second time by Bangladesh, but full praise and marks to the winners as they played complete cricket,” Akram said. He pointed to Bangladesh’s deliberate shift away from traditionally spin-dominated surfaces as a factor that caught Pakistan off guard, adding: “Bangladesh used to have low, slow and big turners but now they preparing great test pitches, helping their fast-rising pace bowlers who outpaced Pakistan. Bangladesh are now ready to compete against the best in this format. And what a talent Nahid Rana is treat to watch. Congrats Bangladesh.”
Really disappointed to see Pakistan beaten for the second time by Bangladesh, but full praise and marks to the winners as they played complete cricket. Bangladesh used to have low, slow and big turners but now they preparing great test pitches, helping their fast-rising pace…
— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) May 20, 2026
A system challenged from the inside
The sharpest reaction came from former wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, speaking on the Game Plan YouTube show. His verdict on Pakistan was immediate and unsparing — “There is nothing left except shame,” Akmal said. He made clear the anger was not confined to this series alone, adding: “We have been saying the same things for six or seven years. Nothing has changed.”
Akmal did not withhold credit from the opposition. “Bahut-bahut mubarak to Bangladesh and the whole nation,” he said. He noted that Bangladesh had maintained their focus and discipline despite significant off-field turbulence throughout the period, stating: “Tremendous cricket, no doubt. Despite everything they were going through — the protests, the government situation — they never moved away from their basics. Big achievement.”
Selection, favouritism and administrative failure
Akmal’s criticism of Pakistani cricket’s power structure was direct. “When non-cricketers have their ego involved, cricket will not improve,” he said. He continued: “When you select by parachute, merit and skill are zero to you. Where the actual fault is, there will be no accountability, no criteria for performance.”
He drew a direct contrast with India’s approach to selection, pointing to how the board had consistently prioritised results over reputation. “Pujara was dropped, Ajinkya Rahane was dropped, Shikhar Dhawan was dropped — how big a performer was he?” Akmal said. He added: “Cricket first, team first. Here they bring friendships onto the field.”
Akmal reserved particular anger for the selective application of fitness standards within Pakistani cricket. Players who passed every benchmark during the Pakistan Super League routinely submitted fitness concerns the moment domestic cricket began. He argued that administrators were penalising domestic cricketers capable of scoring centuries and bowling long spells over marginal failures in fitness testing — players whose red-ball value far outweighed what a timed run could measure. The two-kilometre fitness test, he said, was being applied with a rigidity that had ended careers prematurely while those making the decisions faced no scrutiny of their own. “In PSL not a single player is ever unfit,” he said.
No quick fix in sight for Pakistan cricket
Akmal called for Pakistan cricket to be rebuilt from club level upward, with specialist Test players identified early and fast bowlers given sufficient red-ball cricket to develop properly. Only once that foundation was in place, he argued, could Pakistan credibly claim to be moving forward again. Without that structural rebuild, he warned, the decline would simply continue on its current trajectory. “Practically speaking, I don’t see things improving in the next four or five years,” he said. The path forward, he insisted, demanded decisions that those in authority had consistently avoided — “If you want to get better, you will have to take big, hard decisions,” he said.
Pakistan’s next Test assignment will arrive with the same questions unanswered. Two consecutive series defeats to Bangladesh are now on the record, no credible reform process is publicly underway, and the voices calling for accountability are growing louder with each result.
