Pakistan cricket is going through a disappointing low. The side suffered a 2-0 whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh in a recently-concluded Test series. Bangladesh inflicted a six-wicket defeat on the home team in the second Test in Rawalpindi on Tuesday to complete the clean sweep. It also saw Bangladesh, who had won the first game by 10 wickets, registering their first ever Test series win over Pakistan. While the home team was humiliated by Bangladesh, Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood too achieved an unwanted feat.

Masood has become the first captain from the nation to lose his five Test matches. He was appointed as Pakistan Test skipper in November last year after Babar Azam had stepped down from the role.

Masood broke the record of Javed Burki, who lost his first three Test matches as Pakistan captain.

“We will have to work on bringing in consistency in selection. You will have to bear with player’s failures. You will have to search where you will get that player who can be an automatic selection on current form. Since, we’re not playing red ball cricket currently, we don’t have many options to pick from,” Masood said after Pakistan’s series defeat.

“I am not worried for my job security. I took this job to make the changes we believe will help this team. If I believe this team can go in a certain direction, even if my personal failure takes Pakistan in that direction, I will be content. However much time I get I’ll be grateful for and do my best,” he added.

Pakistan fell to their worst Test ranking in nearly six decades on Wednesday, the International Cricket Council said, after their shock 2-0 series defeat to low-ranked Bangladesh.

“Pakistan dropped two places — from sixth to eighth — in the Test rankings after suffering a shock series loss at home to Bangladesh,” the International Cricket Council (ICC) said.

The ICC said it was “their lowest rankings since 1965” in the 12-team table, which is topped by Australia followed by India and England. Bangladesh are ninth in the latest rankings

There are now no Pakistan bowlers ranked in the top 10 after paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi fell to 11th from his ninth place before the Bangladesh series.

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is the only Pakistani remaining in the top 10 batting rankings, while Babar Azam dropped three places to 12th.

Azam managed just 64 runs in the two Tests against Bangladesh.

(With AFP Inputs)

Liton Das hit a fighting hundred to lift Bangladesh from a precarious 26-6 to 262 all out on Sunday, in a remarkable turnaround that left the second Test in Rawalpindi within either team’s grasp. The 29-year-old hit 138 over the course of a marathon 333 minutes and brought Bangladesh back into the match with a fighting 165-run seventh-wicket stand alongside Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who scored a pugnacious 78. At close on the third day, Bangladesh struck back to leave Pakistan on a sluggish 9-2, with opener Abdullah Shafique dismissed for three and nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad falling without scoring — both to pacer Hasan Mahmud.

Saim Ayub was not out on six as the home team lead by 21 runs, and Pakistan will need to bat smartly to clinch a series-levelling win after losing the first Test, also in Rawalpindi, by 10 wickets.

Bangladesh’s win last week was their first in 14 attempts against Pakistan.

The highlight of the day was Das and Mehidy’s match-turning stand.

On top of that, Das added 69 with tail-ender Mahmud (13 not out) in a 24.5-over ninth wicket stand, equalling the partnership record against Pakistan and leaving the home team frustrated.

Das, dropped on 90 by spinner Abrar Ahmed off his own bowling, hit a late cut off the same bowler to reach his fourth Test hundred. He finally holed out to Agha Salman at long-on.

Das, who came to the crease with Bangladesh tottering at 26-5, cracked 13 boundaries and four sixes, adding a big 236 for the last four wickets.

Earlier, Pakistan were put in a strong position by pacer Shahzad’s career-best 6-90 and Mir Hazma (2-50) in the morning session, but they were left wanting thereafter.

Das and Mehidy’s solid stand took advantage of an eased-out Rawalpindi stadium pitch in the second session of the rain-affected Test, which saw Friday’s first day washed out.

Shahzad, who had taken 4-15 in his first spell, had Mehidy caught and bowled off a miscued drive two overs before tea to end Pakistan’s long and frustrating wait for the seventh wicket.

Das and Mehidy are the first pair in Tests to add 150 or more runs for the seventh or lower wicket from a team total under 50 runs.

Mehidy, who took 5-61 on Saturday, hit 12 boundaries and a six as he passed 50 for the eighth time in Tests.

Bangladesh resumed at the start of the day on 10-0, but Shahzad soon had opener Zakir Hasan caught by Abrar Ahmed at short midwicket for one in the fourth over.

Shahzad then bowled Shadman Islam (10) and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (four) in the space of four deliveries to reduce Bangladesh to 20-3.

At the other end, Hamza had Mominul Haque caught by Mohammad Ali at mid-on for one and then removed first Test centurion Mushfiqur Rahim for three, caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan from a beautiful outswinger.

Shahzad made it 26-6 by trapping Shakib Al Hasan lbw for two before Mehidy and Das dug in.

Shahzad’s previous best figures were 3-45 in his debut Test against Australia at Perth last year.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz grabbed five wickets to help Bangladesh skittle Pakistan for 274 on the second day of the second Test in Rawalpindi on Saturday. The 26-year-old recorded his 10th five-wicket haul in Tests to cap a good day for the tourists, who are looking to win only their third away series. Bangladesh finished the day on 10-0 despite opener Shadman Islam being dropped by Saud Shakeel off Mir Hamza on the first ball of the innings. But it was Bangladesh’s bowlers who steered them to a strong position.

Mehidy dismissed Pakistan captain Shan Masood for 57 and opener Saim Ayub for 58 after the home team had been well-placed on 99-1 at lunch.

He produced match-turning figures of 4-21 in Bangladesh’s 10-wicket win in the first Test a week ago, and snared Khurram Shahzad for 12 and then Mohammad Ali and Abrar Ahmed to end the innings with 5-61.

Mehidy was ably assisted by fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who took 3-57.

Agha Salman, dropped on nought by Zakir Hasan off Shakib Al Hasan, was Taskin’s third wicket after scoring 54 with three boundaries and two sixes.

Taskin said he was happy to be back in the longer format of Test cricket.

“It’s a good sporting pitch and we need to bat the full day and get a good lead,” Taskin said.

“It’s great to be back in red ball (cricket) after one-and-a-half years. I enjoyed that and adapted well.”

Salman said the pitch was better than the first Test track and should provide help for the spin bowlers.

“Unlike the first Test, this wicket has lively grass and I believe we have enough runs,” he said.

Desperate for a win to level the two-match series, Pakistan started well but lost wickets at regular intervals to slump from a relatively strong 107-1 on a greenish but slow Rawalpindi pitch.

Taskin bowled first Test centurion Saud Shakeel for 16, the left-hander having already survived a dropped catch by Mehidy off Nahid Rana on one.

Babar Azam, Pakistan’s best batter, fell leg-before to spinner Shakib Al Hasan for 31, having now gone 15 Test innings without a half-century.

The first day’s play on Friday was washed out due to rain but Pakistan shone with solid batting in the first session.

Masood, under pressure after scores of six and 14 in the first Test, hit two boundaries before he fell leg-before to Mehidy in the third over after the lunch break.

Fellow left-hander Ayub was more aggressive, hitting two sixes and four boundaries before he was stumped by wicketkeeper Liton Das off Mehidy.

Taskin, brought in for the unfit Shoriful Islam as Bangladesh’s only change, bowled Abdullah Shafique for nought off the sixth ball of the match.

Bangladesh’s 10-wicket win in the first Test, also in Rawalpindi, was their first over Pakistan in 14 attempts.

Pakistan made two changes from the first Test, resting spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah to bring in pace bowler Hamza and spinner Abrar Ahmed.

The two-match series is part of the World Test Championship, with Pakistan now ranked eighth and Bangladesh seventh in the nine-team table.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh 2nd Test Day 2 Live Updates© AFP