Why has Pakistan been so poor in away Tests?

[RyanRyan10]

Since the retirement of MisYou, Pakistan has been humiliated on tour of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, getting whitewashed to all three of them. They could not beat even the mediocre sides like the West Indies and Sri Lanka. Against England, they lost once and drew once.

Only teams, they have been able to beat are Bangladesh, Ireland and Zimbabwe.

So what is the reason behind Pakistan's poor performances away from home?

Are they missing MisYou or has there bowling declined?

Note: Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka have all won series in Pak/UAE in the same period.

 

[kukkad kamaal]

Pakistan doesn't deserve to be anywhere near the WTC final. Got the easiest of the schedule and still, they messed up.

 

[Titan24]

Last cycle of overseas tours has surely been ordinary with nothing to write home about. WI and Srl series could have been won rather should have been won with the overall resources but, results were drawn series.

Main reason I can think of is some batsmen like Azhar past their prime, rest are pretty inexperienced (Even Babar is yet to play 50 matches let alone Imam, Abdullah, Rizwan etc) Yasir in his twilight, Pacers with not much experience and no quality spinners.

As was mentioning earlier in another thread that despite the easier schedule in this WTC Pakistan is not prepared well. I am hoping for the team to shape up better for the next WTC when the filtration happen and hopefully some good overseas wins.

 

[Rana]

Babar isn’t the smartest captain we could have opted for but the team is so poor than nobody in the age bracket of 28-32 can be trusted with captaincy

 

[Ahmed216]

Current WTC cycle was a good opportunity to blood in some youngsters in batting but seems we are stuck with azhar fawad etc

 

[Cricfan4eva]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Babar is just like Root as captain. Timid, unimaginative and reactive as captain. He is a prolific batsman, but that doesn't make you a good captain.

I feel he needs to be unburdened of the captaincy before these results start taking a toll on his form. Because Pak media can turn ugly real quick if some results go the wrong way in near future.

I don't know who else can be captain, but you need to identify a leader who can rally the Pak side. Right now they seem like plenty of good players put together, but not really a tight knitted unit.

 

[ssuhaide]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Babar is just like Root as captain. Timid, unimaginative and reactive as captain. He is a prolific batsman, but that doesn't make you a good captain.

I feel he needs to be unburdened of the captaincy before these results start taking a toll on his form. Because Pak media can turn ugly real quick if some results go the wrong way in near future.

I don't know who else can be captain, but you need to identify a leader who can rally the Pak side. Right now they seem like plenty of good players put together, but not really a tight knitted unit.

Spot on with the captaincy but this is not the sole issue. The side just does not have the quality to compete. Imam is on borrowed time. Azhar and Fawad Alam are not fit to play test cricket any more - big gaping hole in the middle order. Rizwan batting too high up. No quality spinner in the side. And really only Shaheen is the class bowler in the side and he is being overbowled in all formats and not suprisingly is starting to break down. Hassan Ali has no business playing international cricket. Massive holes all over .

 

[Rana]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Babar is just like Root as captain. Timid, unimaginative and reactive as captain. He is a prolific batsman, but that doesn't make you a good captain.

I feel he needs to be unburdened of the captaincy before these results start taking a toll on his form. Because Pak media can turn ugly real quick if some results go the wrong way in near future.

I don't know who else can be captain, but you need to identify a leader who can rally the Pak side. Right now they seem like plenty of good players put together, but not really a tight knitted unit.

The only other leadership options are:

Shadab Khan- he isn’t doing anything to get himself back into the Test side and has done nothing of note to suggest he will play 40+ Tests in a row

Shan Masood- Another guy who can’t do enough to keep himself in the side with performance. Very articulate and sensible.

Imam ul Haq- could be dropped anytime. Hasn’t done enough to cement his place in the side. A bit too emotional and lacks general batting game sense

Shaheen Afridi- he is a guaranteed starter and is a regular performer. He was surprisingly decent as a captain in the PSL. He may well surprise us as a bowling captain. After all, it is the bowlers who need to find a way to get 20 wickets in a Test. Pat Cummins let’s the batsmen do their job and score runs, then he takes complete responsibility on making sure that his side takes the wickets.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Forget away series. Post Misbah/Younis, they lost 2 test series in the UAE and one in Pakistan as well.

 

[Cricfan4eva]

Spot on with the captaincy but this is not the sole issue. The side just does not have the quality to compete. Imam is on borrowed time. Azhar and Fawad Alam are not fit to play test cricket any more - big gaping hole in the middle order. Rizwan batting too high up. No quality spinner in the side. And really only Shaheen is the class bowler in the side and he is being overbowled in all formats and not suprisingly is starting to break down. Hassan Ali has no business playing international cricket. Massive holes all over .

Am just saying, a similar team under Stokes seems worlds apart from what it did under Root. Sure Pak needs a few tinkering with it's combination and few dead weights need to go.

But the main issue needs to be addressed first, a captain who has a clarity in what he wants, only then he can a build a team to support the style he wants the team to play.

Like take Kohli for example - When he took over in 2014 - he made it absolutely clear that to win away India need to play 5 bowlers. We lost initially but he persisted with his theory and we've had the most success away under him than we've done with under any other Indian captain.

 

[sivanand82]

Rizwan does look a good pick for captaincy.surely will do a better job than Babar.Babar is too reserved and lone wolf for a captain

 

[Cric1234]

Forget away series. Post Misbah/Younis, they lost 2 test series in the UAE and one in Pakistan as well.

While Younis and Misbah were there Pakistan lost tests to WI Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe whilst getting whitewashed in Australia and South Africa.

The downhill spiral had already started and Azhar Shafiq and others continued the mediocrity leading to Pakistan performing like minnows everywhere now especially in SENA.

 

[Markhor]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Babar is just like Root as captain. Timid, unimaginative and reactive as captain. He is a prolific batsman, but that doesn't make you a good captain.

I feel he needs to be unburdened of the captaincy before these results start taking a toll on his form. Because Pak media can turn ugly real quick if some results go the wrong way in near future.

I don't know who else can be captain, but you need to identify a leader who can rally the Pak side. Right now they seem like plenty of good players put together, but not really a tight knitted unit.

Spot on with the captaincy but this is not the sole issue. The side just does not have the quality to compete. Imam is on borrowed time. Azhar and Fawad Alam are not fit to play test cricket any more - big gaping hole in the middle order. Rizwan batting too high up. No quality spinner in the side. And really only Shaheen is the class bowler in the side and he is being overbowled in all formats and not suprisingly is starting to break down. Hassan Ali has no business playing international cricket. Massive holes all over .

Agreed with all of this. Pakistan have reverted back to an era where they're entirely relying on a few star individuals to fire while everyone else makes up the numbers.

A change of captaincy won't address the deep-seated issues like the shortage of quality spinners or Test class seamers, but Babar's growing list of tactical and selection errors has cost us two winnable Test series this year. It really is starting to resemble the Root-Silverwood era.

• Requesting dead pitches for AUS series.

• Asking his spinners to bowl negative lines in Karachi Test.

• Selecting a tail starting at 7 against the best pace attack in the world in Lahore Test !

• Playing 3 seamers in the spinner's paradise of Galle vs SL in 1st Test. Thankfully Abdullah Shafique produced an ATG 4th inns knock. Naseem Shah was more effective as a batsman than a bowler !

• Playing Mohammad Rizwan at 4 in 2nd Test !

• Overbacking of Azhar Ali, Hasan Ali and Naseem Shah.

Saqlain as a very experienced international cricketer and pundit shouldn't be sanctioning this nonsense either. I'm starting to think we should split the coaching and appoint a separate red ball coach.

 

[Saj]

Poor team selections.

Picking players in Tests who aren't good enough for that format.

Picking players who are not ready for Test cricket.

Continually picking players who are struggling in Test cricket.

Poor captaincy.

Negative approach too often.

Several players with poor fitness levels.

 

[ElRaja]

people talking about stokes vs root need a reality check, stokes type players / captains do not survive in pakistan. his career would have been in the bin after giving up those sixes against braithwaite in the wt20 final.

u need an environment that tolerates individualism, failure and fosters growth and allows for personal expression to nurture talents like stokes. he would have been beaten and hammered into becoming a cookie cutter all rounder in the pak system.

rizwan is a decent talent, and pbly the one of only three guaranteed starters in this xi, but i dont see where hes displayed any particular strategic nous. even the local kp team thats been winning everything is captained by iftikhar.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Poor team selections.

Picking players in Tests who aren't good enough for that format.

Picking players who are not ready for Test cricket.

Continually picking players who are struggling in Test cricket.

Poor captaincy.

Negative approach too often.

Several players with poor fitness levels.

This. There's isn't a single big issue. Pakistan cricket needs to be reset

 

[Kaddy]

Poor team selections.

Picking players in Tests who aren't good enough for that format.

Picking players who are not ready for Test cricket.

Continually picking players who are struggling in Test cricket.

Poor captaincy.

Negative approach too often.

Several players with poor fitness levels.

Good sum up.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

A plethora of problems ranging from grass roots to the highest level. We aren't very good at home either.

You need to pick players who actually have future in the format rather than opting for guys with one good season and believing their part time ability in batting/bowling would be a genius move. All of the players need to make the team based on their primary skill first. If they can't make it on basis of that, they shouldn't be picked at all.

Giving 35 year olds debuts isn't going to help either. Not everyone is going to defy age like Younis and Misbah did.

Plus be brave in discarding dead weight.

Another thing, we don't have any strategy for tests whether it's batting, fielding or bowling. Our management doesn't even know what the makeup of side should be. If Mohammad Rizwan is batting at no.4 in tests while keeping wicket, you should know your batting is as thin as Sajid Khan's ponytail.

Hasan looks unfit and lethargic. Don't know if he is taking care of his body nutritionally and physically.

 

[Cric1234]

Poor team selections.

Picking players in Tests who aren't good enough for that format.

Picking players who are not ready for Test cricket.

Continually picking players who are struggling in Test cricket.

Poor captaincy.

Negative approach too often.

Several players with poor fitness levels.

Also picking the slowest batsmen you can find in domestic what happened to aggression and adopting an attacking approach.

Abdullah
Huraira
Babar
Haider
Akmal
Saud
Rizwan

Akmal is 31-32 age wise but in Asia he can score a lot quicker than Fawad and Azhar a more attacking and potent looking line up at least they will entertain the fans.

 

[sweep_shot]

Lack of good spinners is one reason. You need at least one good spinner in Test.

Pakistan won most of their away games due to batsmen or pacers.

 

[Cric1234]

Lack of good spinners is one reason. You need at least one good spinner in Test.

Pakistan won most of their away games due to batsmen or pacers.

The only test they’ve won outside Asia is against the windies not one test win in SENA for the last few years.

 

[Saj]

The reality is that Pakistan is a mid-range Test side who will struggle against the top sides.

Yes from time to time we'll see a win against the top teams, but most of the time they will lose matches and series.

They are an average side with 2 or 3 top class players.

 

[Saj]

The only test they’ve won outside Asia is against the windies not one test win in SENA for the last few years.

Last Test win in SENA was May 2018 at Lord's.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

Poor captaincy
Poor team selection
No real spinner ( Weakness of SENA countries)

 

[James]

There are a multitude of issues.

I worry about Babar’s captaincy.

 

[Cric1234]

The reality is that Pakistan is a mid-range Test side who will struggle against the top sides.

Yes from time to time we'll see a win against the top teams, but most of the time they will lose matches and series.

They are an average side with 2 or 3 top class players.

This can change by selecting a lineup close to the one I put up above I can guarantee there will be more entertainment and wins.

Unfortunately whoever comes in charge develops a safety first defensive minded approach which spreads through the team and leads to mediocrity which never looks like ending.

 

[SportsWarrior]

Pakistan is pretty good in cricket. If not, most Indians won't be lurking here. Pakistan is certainly not a world beater, but i prefer them after India, Australia, England and WI. South Africa and SriLankan have the potential to be same as Pak in terms of success. Real poor team among the full member is BD. They are really a horrible test team and don't deserve the hype they get.

 

[Nasty Naz]

You need many elite players to win and Pakistan simply haven't had that since MisYou retired. Even with them, they weren't a good away side but at least they had some batting potential. Current side just lacks elite batsmen & bowlers. Look at how many outstanding players an Australian/Indian sides have compared to Pakistan. They're basically relying on one elite batsmen (Babar) and one good with potential to be an elite bowler (Shaheen). Look at Australian when they were playing here. Can you imagine if a bowler of Hazelwood quality was sitting on the bench in Pakistan?

That's not a recipe for success. There is potential though and it starts with the younger upcoming players in Abdullah, Saud etc. It's going to take a few years if they are to become a top side however.

 

[sweep_shot]

Pakistan is pretty good in cricket. If not, most Indians won't be lurking here. Pakistan is certainly not a world beater, but i prefer them after India, Australia, England and WI. South Africa and SriLankan have the potential to be same as Pak in terms of success. Real poor team among the full member is BD. They are really a horrible test team and don't deserve the hype they get.

Are you putting West Indies ahead of South Africa?

 

[Joseph Gomes]

There are a multitude of issues.

I worry about Babar’s captaincy.

Babar is the least of Pakistan's worry imo. The entire team is underperforming. Pakistan also produces flat pitches at home which makes captaincy irrelevant. Australia hammered Pakistan because they had better players.

 

[SportsWarrior]

Are you putting West Indies ahead of South Africa?

Not really. Not really. SA is ahead of WI but I always find WI teams more watchable than SA.