File photo of Shan Masood.© AFP
Pakistan cricket is going through a disappointing low. The side suffered a 2-0 whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh in a recently-concluded Test series. Bangladesh inflicted a six-wicket defeat on the home team in the second Test in Rawalpindi on Tuesday to complete the clean sweep. It also saw Bangladesh, who had won the first game by 10 wickets, registering their first ever Test series win over Pakistan. While the home team was humiliated by Bangladesh, Pakistan's Test captain Shan Masood too achieved an unwanted feat.
Masood has become the first captain from the nation to lose his five Test matches. He was appointed as Pakistan Test skipper in November last year after Babar Azam had stepped down from the role.
Masood broke the record of Javed Burki, who lost his first three Test matches as Pakistan captain.
"We will have to work on bringing in consistency in selection. You will have to bear with player's failures. You will have to search where you will get that player who can be an automatic selection on current form. Since, we're not playing red ball cricket currently, we don't have many options to pick from," Masood said after Pakistan's series defeat.
"I am not worried for my job security. I took this job to make the changes we believe will help this team. If I believe this team can go in a certain direction, even if my personal failure takes Pakistan in that direction, I will be content. However much time I get I'll be grateful for and do my best," he added.
Pakistan fell to their worst Test ranking in nearly six decades on Wednesday, the International Cricket Council said, after their shock 2-0 series defeat to low-ranked Bangladesh.
"Pakistan dropped two places -- from sixth to eighth -- in the Test rankings after suffering a shock series loss at home to Bangladesh," the International Cricket Council (ICC) said.
The ICC said it was "their lowest rankings since 1965" in the 12-team table, which is topped by Australia followed by India and England. Bangladesh are ninth in the latest rankings
There are now no Pakistan bowlers ranked in the top 10 after paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi fell to 11th from his ninth place before the Bangladesh series.
Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is the only Pakistani remaining in the top 10 batting rankings, while Babar Azam dropped three places to 12th.
Azam managed just 64 runs in the two Tests against Bangladesh.
(With AFP Inputs)