Former Pakistani cricket stars have slammed current captain Misbah-ul Haq and his men for losing the second Test to Zimbabwe on Saturday and dropping to sixth in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings, calling them 'shameful' and 'stale'.
The win allowed cash-strapped Zimbabwe, who had not beaten a top Test-playing nation in more than a decade, to square the two-match series.
According to the Daily Times, former captain Ramiz Raja termed the defeat as 'embarrassing, frustrating and shameful', saying that there is a predictability and staleness in Misbah's captaincy and Pakistan's brand of cricket.
Stating that it is the right time to have a new captain and infuse the team with young blood, Raja further said that no one likes to support a losing side for which, he added, it has become necessary for them to rethink their priorities and set a new direction.
Agreeing with Raja, fast bowling legend Shoaib Akhtar said that Pakistan has hit rock bottom as a cricket nation, while former Test leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed said that he feared that Pakistan might face a torrid time during the Test and one-day series against South Africa starting next month in Abu Dhabi.
Joining the motley of voices criticising Pakistan's performance, former wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif stated that it is especially disappointing as Pakistan played their worst cricket against Zimbabwe, which is struggling with internal problems and whose players were mentally encumbered with pay problems with their cricket boards.
