Ab de Villiers and Babar Azam (Agency Image)
Across four innings, Pakistan failed to score 200 even once, leaving de Villiers questioning the team’s ability to withstand pressure and fight through difficult periods.
It’s a decision that you make,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel. “I don’t often currently see a lot of Pakistan players individually being prepared to put in those extra hard yards. Especially with the batting unit. Not enough, what’s the word, guts. Fight. It doesn’t always have to be pretty. Lots of soft wickets, and that’s what it comes down to. The former South Africa captain explained that he viewed Test cricket as an opportunity to demonstrate mental strength rather than simply focus on aesthetics or personal statistics.
Because of rain, the first match finished inside three days, while the second went into a fourth day largely. “So that’s my long and short on Pakistan cricket. Pakistan ’s recent struggles have sparked plenty of criticism of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), but former South Africa captain AB de Villiers believes the players themselves must also take responsibility for the team’s alarming performances. The Babar Azam-led Pakistan side endured a miserable start to its England tour, suffering heavy defeats in the first two Tests at Headingley and Lord’s. The results prompted the PCB to make sweeping changes ahead of the third and final Test in Birmingham, including sending seven players home and replacing Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed with white-ball coach Mike Hesson. Pakistan’s struggles with the bat were particularly concerning during the opening two Tests. Hopefully they’ll make their way back to the form and to the team that we know they can be in all formats of the game,” he concluded. Pakistan will now have one final opportunity to respond on the England tour when they face the hosts in the third and final Test in Birmingham.
With major changes already made before the series has concluded, the team will be under pressure to show considerably more fight and character in the final match.