Pakistan Cricket Crisis Deepens: Seven Down Before 100 as Babar Azam’s Side Collapses at Edgbaston
They needed a strong batting display to regain some confidence in the camp. Instead, it quickly became another fraught afternoon for the visitors.
Xtra Time Newsdesk: Pakistan's woes continued at Edgbaston as their batting order collapsed again, with the team all out at 133. Coming into the third Test, Pakistan were already under pressure after losing the first two matches of the series. They needed a strong batting display to regain some confidence in the camp. Instead, it quickly became another fraught afternoon for the visitors.
Wickets fell at regular intervals, and Pakistan had little chance to get going. The English bowlers kept the pressure on, and the batters struggled to find a way out of the situation, and what was meant to be a chance to build momentum had backfired. The collapse comes at a particularly difficult time for Pakistan cricket.
The team has been under great pressure away from the pitch, with changes in the squad and the cricketing set-up causing plenty of discussion around the side. For captain Babar Azam, it is even more difficult as he is expected to lead a team which is searching for answers while also dealing with questions about his own direction. With results continuing to go against Pakistan, the pressure on the captain and players is growing.
At Edgbaston, Pakistan needed their senior batters to step up and give the team something to build on. Instead, another early collapse has left them struggling to keep going in the Test. The scorecard shows the immediate tale - 133 all out. But for Pakistan, the concern is what the collapse says. A team searching for stability has once again found itself searching for runs.