Saud Shakeel admits Pakistan’s batting unit continues to repeat the same errors after another collapse against England at Edgbaston.
Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel expressed his frustration after Pakistan suffered another batting collapse against England in the third Test at Edgbaston. Pakistan were bowled out for 133 after losing wickets in clusters, and Shakeel admitted that the team was repeating mistakes that had already caused problems earlier in the series.
Pakistan entered the third Test hoping to produce a stronger batting performance after two disappointing defeats. Instead, their innings once again unravelled under pressure from England’s fast bowlers. The visitors slipped to 100 for seven before eventually being dismissed for 133.
Speaking after the day’s play, Shakeel acknowledged that the situation was disappointing for the batting group. He explained that the players were making an effort but were failing to correct recurring mistakes, particularly the tendency to lose several wickets close together.
The conditions at Edgbaston also played a role. England chose to bowl first after winning the toss, and the overcast conditions offered movement to the seamers. Shakeel said Pakistan knew the pitch could become easier for batting later and believed that surviving the early period would have been crucial.
Pakistan’s failure to establish a substantial partnership meant they could not take advantage of any improvement in batting conditions. Josh Tongue claimed four wickets, while Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer took three each as England’s attack repeatedly exposed weaknesses in Pakistan’s batting.
Shakeel also defended Pakistan’s batting order. He pointed out that players such as Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique have experience batting in different positions and said their roles should not simply be judged according to whether they are traditionally considered openers.
The batter also praised young fast bowler Razaullah, who made an impressive Test debut. Razaullah dismissed Joe Root and Emilio Gay and regularly bowled above 140 kilometres per hour, giving Pakistan a glimpse of the pace threat they had been missing.
Shakeel stressed that Pakistan must develop Razaullah carefully and provide him with the right workload and guidance. He argued that Pakistan have previously struggled to maintain express fast bowlers and said the team needs a proper plan to ensure young quicks can develop without losing their pace.
The comments underline the contrasting emotions inside the Pakistan camp. While the batting performance produced considerable frustration, Razaullah’s emergence provided an important positive. Pakistan will now need their batting unit to respond if they are to compete with England in the remainder of the Test.
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