Bangladesh beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the first ODI, bowling out the visitors for 114 in 30.4 overs before chasing the target in just 15 overs.
Basit Ali did not spare the team management. “First, shoot the man who told them to score a minimum of 60 runs in the ten powerplay overs,” he said. “He never played cricket on a ground. He just hands over a piece of paper. Did he not see what conditions are like here? Did he not know that even India have lost in Bangladesh?”
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal said he was left embarrassed by the performance. “It felt like one team was international and the other was a club side playing a practice match before a World Cup,” he said. “I called Basit and couldn’t find words to describe what kind of cricket we were playing.”
He did not stop there. “I swear to God, batting like this doesn’t even happen in club cricket. Club cricketers don’t play this badly.”
Akmal was particularly critical of Pakistan’s batting against Nitish Rana. “All our batters were on the back foot. Not one came forward. Rizwan is a senior player — he should have had the awareness to step out and hit him through the line. Instead he got cut twice and was gone.” Akmal also noted that Rana did not celebrate after taking wickets.
Basit said the result exposed a broader problem. “This debate that youngsters need time — let’s end it. In world cricket, when a youngster comes in, he comes ready. He makes an impact. Our players need to understand this is not a local club ground. This is an international Test venue.”
Basit said two senior middle-order batters who had spoken publicly about their own abilities had failed when it mattered. ‘Two of them keep saying they are the best middle-order batters. You saw what they did today.’”
Both questioned the decision to field four debutants in the same match. “You introduce one or two at a time,” Basit said. “You don’t throw in four at once.”
Akmal said Pakistan’s ICC ranking of fourth meant little. “We win at home against weakened sides and count those points. When we go abroad, this is what happens.”
Pakistan play the second ODI in two days.
