'Pitch was not the issue' - Salman Butt launches scathing attack on Pakistan after first Test debacle

Pakistani players and the management have been garnering immense criticism after Bangladesh won the first Test in Rawalpindi by 10 wickets on Sunday, August 25. Former captain Salman Butt lashed out at Shan Masood and Co. after they became the first Pakistan team to be defeated by Bangladesh in the longest format of the game.

Pakistan went into the match with four frontline seamers and benched their frontline spinner, Abrar Ahmed. However, the move backfired as Bangladeshi spinners wreaked havoc, especially in the second innings. Pakistan's assistant coach Azhar Mahmood questioned the nature of the pitch, saying that it didn't play the way they had wanted it.

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Butt, however, said that Pakistan failed in all aspects of the game and also mentioned that the Bangladesh pacers were quicker than their counterparts.

"Where should I start? Playing four fast bowlers, the declaration, the line and length, everything went wrong. I think this is the first time that the average speed of Bangladesh bowlers was higher than ours. They looked more fit than us. Our junior fast bowlers did better than our senior ones. So, there is a list of mistakes made by the team. Where should we start? Who should we pick and blame because the list goes on," Butt said on his YouTube channel.

Pakistan lost nine wickets inside two sessions on Day 5. Butt said that the nature of the pitch shouldn't be questioned because the home team was dismal with its batting display on the last day of the encounter.

"Pitch was not the issue. The quality of bowling was. Our bowling coach said that the pitch didn't turn out the way we wanted. Bowlers also said that the pitch was not good. How does that make sense? especially when Pakistan got bowled out inside two sessions. Their pacers got the wickets of our top order batters before the spinners took the responsibility in the middle. So, this is a long list of mismanagement and incompetance," Butt stated.

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This was the first time Pakistan lost a Test match at home by 10 wickets. They will have to get back to the drawing board and come back stronger in the second Test, which gets underway on Friday, August 30, in Rawalpindi.