Edgbaston [UK], September 10 (ANI): Former England cricketer Michael Atherton expressed disappointment with Pakistan's batting in the first innings of the final Test at Edgbaston, saying that the batting line-up is "woefully low on confidence" and the entire team looks "dispirited".
Another day and another failure at mustering even 200 runs for Pakistan as four-fer from Josh Tongue and fiery three-fers from Jofra Archer and Ollie Robinson skittled them out for just 133 runs in 33.5 overs. So far in the series, Pakistan have failed to touch the 200-run mark even once, with their highest team total being 194 in the chase of 389 runs.
Pakistan lost their entire top five for single digits, with the scoreline once reading 24/5, making it the second-lowest aggregate by a Pakistani top-five in a Test innings since 2000, with 19 runs against England at Dubai in 2012 still at the top. It is also their first instance of losing five wickets for under 50 runs in the first innings since it came against South Africa back in the 2013 Johannesburg Test.
Abdullah Shafique, who seemed to have gained his top form with a brilliant 160* against West Indies at Port of Spain not so long ago, continued his downward trajectory with yet another low score of three in 16 balls. He looked at sea against Robinson, who has dismissed him five times in nine innings. The batter averages just 9.6 against him, scoring just 48 runs against the pacer in nine innings.
Skipper Babar Azam, a 'Player of the Series' during the West Indies tour with 193 runs and two fifties in two innings, is yet to touch double figures in the UK, falling prey to the pace trio of Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue in the most humiliating ways possible for a batter of his calibre.
Speaking as quoted by Sky Sports, Atherton said that the decision to send back seven players and two coaches home after the series loss cannot help build confidence in the side.
"A thoroughly miserable batting performance from them," said Atherton.
"It is a batting line-up woefully low on confidence. The decision to send seven players home - the chickens are coming home to roost. You cannot treat players like that and expect to build confidence in a side."
"Everybody who plays professional sport knows that if you play badly, the axe is going to fall. For all the criticism that has been made, just bear the context in mind that this Pakistan team looks dispirited - and there is a reason for that," he signed off.
Sky Sports expert and former England pacer Stuart Broad said that Pakistan cricket is currently operating under a "difficult environment" for players.
"You often talk about playing with freedom, playing without fear, but the worst place you can be is feeling you need 20 or 30 runs to stay in the team - you never warm together as a group. It is really impossible to play good cricket when you have that many off-field problems going," he added.
However, amid all the negativity and chaos, Pakistan found a ray of hope in the pacer Razaullah, who impressed even the former England captain Nasser Hussain with his ability to hit 90 mph consistently and in the manner he "hurried" Joe Root into playing, finishing the day with figures of 2/42 in nine overs.
"Pakistan have been calling out for something different from their bowlers for a long while," said Hussain about the 21-year-old.
"It is nice to watch that spell from Razaullah that had something, that had a point of difference, had some pace.
"It hurried one of the greatest batters there has ever been, Joe Root, and got him out (LBW for four)."
Coming to the match, Pakistan was put to bat first by England. Saud Shakeel (43 in 47 balls, with seven fours) and Mohammad Abbas (21 in 36 balls, with four boundaries) were the only ones to cross the 20-run mark as Pakistan was skittled out for 133.
Tongue (4/42), Robinson (3/15) and Archer (3/25) were all equally menacing with their pace, accuracy, line and length. England finished the day at 156/4, with fifties from Emilio Gay (60 in 114 balls, with nine fours) and Harry Brook (52* in 76 balls, with four boundaries). (ANI)
"Dispirited, woefully out of confidence": Atherton on Pakistan's batting on day 1 of Edgbaston Test
