PAK vs ENG: Saqlain Mushtaq backed team, saying “they didn’t play badly”

• Pakistan lost the series 2-1 with Saud Shakeel’s controversial decision in Karachi.
• Mushtaq Ahmed has had a very strong start to his career according to Saqlain.
• Pakistan must improve tactically and technically in the longer-format game.

Saqlain Mushtaq, the head coach of Pakistan, acknowledged that the team’s humiliating loss to England was upsetting but defended them, adding, “They didn’t play poorly.”

After the team’s loss in the Karachi Test, the former spinner said that although everyone was disappointed, the Pakistani squad had come close in two games.

“In Rawalpindi and Multan, there were times when we were looking to win the games, but it didn’t end in our favour,” he said.

“If you look at Multan Test, we were in a good position there as well. But, Saud Shakeel’s controversial decision was the turning point; otherwise, he had put us in a commanding position,” the head coach mentioned.

He claimed that although he is wounded by the loss and feels like sobbing in a corner, these things are inevitable in sports. In Mushtaq‘s opinion, the Pakistani team lacked experience in comparison to the English group.

“In a longer game format, experience is key, and it helps you at a crucial stage; this favoured England in the series. We have to learn from our mistakes,” the coach said.

At the beginning of this series, he continued, Pakistan was aiming for the World Test Championship final, but sadly, things didn’t work out for them. He refused, nevertheless, to list this loss as one of his career’s “worst moments.”

“These moments are part and parcel of a professional cricketer; if you allow them to pull you down, then you’ll not be able to move on and progress,” he said.

Although Mushtaq acknowledged that the score of 0–3 was unexpected, he stressed that Pakistan must take note of this setback.

“There are certain things which are exposed in the longer format, these things are usually under the carpet in a shorter format, but you need to be technically and tactically perfect in the longer format, and we’ve to improve in these areas,” the head coach indemnified.

We will have to put in a lot of effort, but it won’t happen overnight, he remarked. When asked if Pakistan should emulate England’s series-long strategy, the coach responded that any strategic choice has be made with everyone’s support. Although there were occasions in this series when we forced England to return to the old manner of playing Test cricket, Saqlain remarked that the country did not adopt this policy immediately. Instead, it took some time for them to consider it before implementing it. Abrar Ahmed, a young player, has had a very strong start to his career, according to Mushtaq, who also emphasised that he must work more to advance.

“I must say that he must not settle down with this; he must bring more verities as the cricketing world will soon start working on him, so you need to keep evolving,” he concluded.

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