On Tuesday, the Pakistan Cricket team, which has gone on a luxury trip to England, faced a massive humiliation after a third-tier team of England swept them off cleanly in a three-match ODIs.
For the Pakistan team, this defeat was in fact, more painful than usual as England had not even fielded its regular squad to this series owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. A few days before their ODI series against Pakistan began, the England squad was affected by a covid outbreak.
Nine out of the 18-man squad were found to have been infected with the deadly coronavirus. As a result, the England and Wales Cricket Board was forced to name an entirely different squad comprising of mostly uncapped junior players for the three-match series with Ben Stokes as captain. With Pakistan fielding their full-strength side, initially, it was thought that Pakistan would sail over the third-tier English team.
However, to everyone surprise, England’s C team registered a crushing victory over the Pakistani team by defeating them in all the three ODIs played. Pakistan lost the first match of the series by nine wickets after being bundled for 141. In the second match, while chasing 248, the Pakistani Cricket Team collapsed for 195, with England’s C team taking an unassailable lead in the series. Finally, on Tuesday, Pakistan lost to England’s C team even after scoring 331 runs on a flat wicket at Edgbaston.
As Pakistanis lost another overseas series against a mediocre English side, several Pakistanis stormed the social media platforms demanding Pakistan Cricket Board to invite the Zimbabwe team, Pakistan’s usual rivals, for a cricket series.
Cricket fans react at the Lord’s after Pakistan loses one day series to England #PAKvsENG pic.twitter.com/7Q7Y3nQAYj
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) July 11, 2021
Pakistan fans were seen saying that they would not have felt so bad had their team lost to England’s regular team. They said that it was as if the Pakistani squad was sleeping and went to to matches completely unprepared.
Several Pakistani cricket fans criticised PCB for sending an incompetent team to play against England and advised them that they should limit organising cricket series against ‘similar standard’ teams such as Zimbabwe, Nepal and Papua New Guinea, against whom Pakistani cricketers have often played decent cricket.
#ENGvPAK After whitewash*from England C team
— Waqasshabbir (@Waqassh57183283) July 13, 2021
Le Pakistan team: pic.twitter.com/c9icvQ2rh5
The only hope to save pakistan cricket team is Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is the only cricket team that always sacrificed to save Pakistan team’s image. when no one was there, zimbabwe was there.
— Wali Ejaz Nekokara (@WNekokara) July 10, 2021
😁
Another Pakistani cricket fan took a step ahead to say that looking at the quality of cricket that is being played by Pakistanis currently, even Zimbabwe would be ashamed to play against them. Hence, PCB should rather organise cricket tournaments against similar standard teams such as Bermuda, Namibia, Uganda, UAE, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Scotland.
Upcoming very important tours for Pakistan team: Bermuda, Namibia, Uganda, UAE, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Scotland.
— Mountain Bear 🐻 پہاڑی بھالو (@alaa_bahut_alaa) July 14, 2021
P.S: Zimbabwe feels humiliation playing with Pakistan so no more cricket with Zimbabwe. #ENGvPAK
Well, as mentioned by a social media user, if Pakistan continues to play such pathetic standards of cricket, no self-respecting team would have any incentive to play against them, which leaves Pakistan to play the sport with none other than its eternal friend and ally – China.
