Ramiz Raja ruthlessly mocks Babar Azam-starrer team: ‘Only Pakistan can snatch defeat from jaws of victory'

Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja slammed the Shan Masood-led Pakistan team for losing the first Test against Bangladesh from a strong position. Ramiz Raja highlighted that Pakistan has a tendency to lose matches from winning situations, adding that it has become the team's reputation.

Pakistan entered the fifth day of the first Test with nine wickets in hand. The home team conceded a 117-run lead to Bangladesh in the first innings.

However, Pakistan suffered a collapse and was bowled out for just 146 runs. The visitors chased down the 30-run target without losing any wickets.

The Men in Green suffered their first-ever Test defeat against Bangladesh. Before this match, Pakistan had won 12 out of their 13 Test encounters against Bangladesh, with one ending in a draw. Pakistan will lock horns with Bangladesh in the second Test at the same venue, starting on August 30.

It Has Become The Team's Reputation - Ramiz Raja

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Ramiz Raja pointed out that the Pakistan team has failed to handle pressure, which led to defeats in the past. Raja said that it's not the first time Pakistan has faltered on the fifth day of a Test match.

"If there is one team that can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, it's Pakistan. And it has become the team's reputation," said Raja on his YouTube channel 'Ramiz Speaks'.

"Ye pehli dafa nahi hua ke on fifth day of a Test match, Pakistan titar bitar ho gayi, parkhache ud gaye (it's not the first time that the Pakistan team fell apart and was in tatters on the fifth day of a Test match). Sometimes batting flops, sometimes bowlers perform poorly at crucial junctures," he added.

The Pakistan team declared their first innings at a score of 448 for 6. Mushfiqur Rahim scored 191 runs to help Bangladesh post 565 runs on the board. Pakistan needed to survive on day five to secure a draw, but Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4) and Shakib Al Hasan (3) dismantled Pakistan's batting.

There Is Some Serious Problem - Ramiz Raja

Ramiz Raja stated that the Pakistan team struggled in both the batting and bowling departments under pressure. Raja also highlighted issues with the batting order, noting struggles in the batting line-up and a long tail.

"Ajeeb-o-garib story ban jati hai jaise hi pressure padta hai iss team me (the script takes a baffling turn whenever this team is put under pressure). There is some serious problem. Their belief system switches off whenever there is some pressure, especially the bowlers," he said.

"When your top three are struggling, the middle order is so-so, only (Mohammad) Rizwan has to come and score, you have a long tail that doesn't know how to bat, then you will lose to Bangladesh also," Raja further stated.

The Pakistan cricket team faced a similar collapse during the Test match against New Zealand in the UAE in 2018.

They needed 175 runs to win on the fourth day but were bowled out for 171. Pakistan lost the match by four runs despite taking a significant lead of 90 runs in the first innings.

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