Pakistan national cricket team reportedly witnessed growing dressing room tensions following their disappointing defeat against Bangladesh in the opening Test of the series. The loss has sparked criticism inside the camp, with skipper Shan Masood and star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi allegedly engaging in a heated exchange after the match.
Pakistan suffered a shocking collapse during the chase of 268, getting bowled out for just 163 to register their third straight Test defeat against Bangladesh. The result further damaged Pakistan’s standing in the World Test Championship table and intensified scrutiny around the team’s performances.
Shaheen Shah Afridi reportedly fires back at Shan Masood
According to reports, Shan expressed frustration over the pace attack’s inability to create pressure during the match. The captain reportedly questioned the lack of speed from his fast bowlers, particularly highlighting Shaheen’s average pace during the Test.
"We failed to create pressure because of lack of speed and that is alarming," Shan reportedly told the bowling unit.
The discussion soon turned into a tense verbal exchange after Shaheen allegedly responded by pointing towards Pakistan’s batting failures. Reports claimed the left-arm pacer reminded the captain about the team’s inability to secure a substantial first-innings lead.
"To this Shaheen hit back by blaming the poor batting that failed to get a first innings lead and told the skipper to mind his own performance with the bat," sources stated.
Shan Masood himself endured a poor outing with scores of nine and two in the match, while Pakistan squandered a strong position after collapsing from 349/5 to 368 all out in the first innings.
Pakistan suffer further setback in WTC standings
The defeat was followed by another major blow as Pakistan were penalized for maintaining a slow over rate during the Test. Match referee Jeff Crowe docked the side eight World Test Championship points after they were found eight overs short.
The penalty has pushed Pakistan down to eighth position in the WTC standings, leaving their qualification hopes under serious pressure.
Senior wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan also reportedly came under criticism from the coaching staff following his dismissal in the first innings after scoring 59.
Meanwhile, reports suggest Pakistan could make multiple changes for the second Test in Sylhet, including the possible return of Babar Azam and the inclusion of pacer Khurram Shahzad.