Mickey Arthur and Kevin Pietersen.
Mickey Arthur and Kevin Pietersen. Image Credit: X

The former England middle order batter, Kevin Pietersen, has raised his voice on the decline of Pakistan cricket in the recent few years. They have now gone winless in 11 successive Test matches at home since getting the better of South Africa in March 2022. Their newly appointed red-ball captain, Shan Masood, has been winless since being appointed in the position before the Australia trip in November 2023.

Kevin Pietersen, in the past, has also highlighted how the quality of the side has gone down in recent years. They couldn’t qualify for the semifinal round of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India before being eliminated before the Super-8 stage during the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).

Their former coach, Mickey Arthur, who was part of the winning squad during the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, has raised a few points, which has been lacking among the PCB for the last few seasons.

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“Just a few thoughts as a follower of Pakistan cricket! 1. The players are very skilled and are the right ones. 2. The inconsistency around selection environment and administration plays a role in team morale, give the players structure, and they will perform!” The former Australian coach expressed in a tweet on the social media platform.

Winning the toss, the Ollie Pope-led side was invited to bowl first on the flattest surface, as they put on over 550 in the first innings. England, in reply, clubbed more than 800 runs in the only innings of their batting, which ended up on an innings and 47-run win in the Multan Test.

The track was never going to help the bowlers in a comfort zone. So, England, using their Bazball trend, batted for 150 overs and showed aggression throughout the innings. Harry Brook smashed a 300-run knock with a strike rate of nearly 100, while Joe Root also celebrated his double century.

“From my time playing the PSL, the players don’t train properly, and there’s way too much emotion involved in the win or loss. No consistency off the field, so how do you expect it on the field? And I agree, the talent is UNREAL!” The former England middle-order batter remarked in a post.

Many fans were upset with the way their premier pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled on the surface, while their captain Babar Azam struggled to score a fifty even on that surface, where the visiting batters nearly bullied the home bowlers.

Kevin Pietersen advises Pakistan these lessons for a better comeback

One of the users commented that the Pakistan Cricket team has always been blessed with unreal talent but, at the same time, it would be important for the players to display some hard work in the field to get consistency.

“Difference between hard work and smart work. Smart work is way better.” Kevin Pietersen replied in the tweet.

Also Read: “What Happened In Pakistan?”- Kevin Pietersen Surprised Post 1st Test Loss vs Bangladesh

Another user asked about the aspects that the Shan Masood-led side has been lacking in the five-day format, to which the veteran made the difference from his old time when he used to be part of the Quetta Gladiators in the PSL.

“When I was with Quetta, the players trained too much instead of training specifics. It’s good to look like you’re putting in long hours, but actually, you’re just tiring your body out. Bowlers would bowl every day for hours – madness.” Kevin Pietersen concluded, besides, commentating that politics has destroyed their game in recent times.