Ramiz Raja Raises Alarm Over Pakistan Cricket (AP)

Ramiz Raja Raises Alarm Over Pakistan Cricket (AP)

‘They’ve already lost a lot of fans’

The second Test begins at Lord’s on Thursday, with England holding a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. They’ve already lost a lot of fans.

Speaking on a cricket podcast with former England captains Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan, Ramiz said Pakistan’s repeated setbacks were contributing to a growing disconnect with supporters. So it’s become a norm when you lose a Test match, it’s become another loss and it means another lot of fans withdrawing from cricket,” Ramiz said. “Social media is after them. To become a great side you need to have fans behind you and it is vice-versa,” he added. Pakistan now have little time to regroup. The biggest positive heading into the second Test is the likely return of Babar Azam. The Pakistan captain missed the Headingley opener with a finger injury, but he has resumed full batting practice and faced both fast bowlers and spinners in the nets at Lord’s.

Pakistan’s struggles are beginning to show beyond the scorecard, with former captain Ramiz Raja warning that the team’s poor performances are costing them something even more valuable, the support of their fans. For England, the challenge will be to maintain the intensity that produced such a dominant opening performance. Joe Root began his second stint as Test captain with an emphatic win, while the pace attack exposed Pakistan’s vulnerability against quality seam bowling.