Babar Azam. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
Pakistan cricket seems to be going through a crisis right now. Following their failure to qualify for the Super 8s stages of the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June, they have now been whitewashed by Bangladesh in a home Test series.
The manner of the defeats has particularly been shocking. Both the Tests were played at Rawalpindi and in the first match, Pakistan lost after declaring at 448/6 while in the second they lost despite having reduced Bangladesh to 26/6 at one point in the game.
In a streak that extends back to 2022, Pakistan has now gone winless in 10 consecutive home Tests, having lost six and drawn four of these matches now. This winless streak also entails a 0-3 whitewash at the hands of England in late 2022, which incidentally is the only other time Pakistan was whitewashed in a home Test series.
Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the WTC final also are practically over following whitewashes at the hands of Australia away and Bangladesh at home.
Let’s now look at Pakistan’s biggest winless streaks at home in Test cricket:
3. 8 matches (1959-64 and 1998-2000):
Pakistan’s first winless streak at home started during their series against the West Indies in 1959. Having won the first two Tests at Karachi and Dhaka, they then suffered an innings’ loss at Lahore but managed to pocket the 3-match series 2-1. But had to then wait more than five years to win another Test victory at home.
Their next series later that year was against Australia. Pakistan salvaged a draw in the third Test of the series at Lahore after losing at Dhaka and Karachi. Later in 1961-62, Pakistan hosted England for another 3-Test series, losing the first at Lahore and fighting out draws at Karachi and Dhaka.
Over two years later in 1964, Australia managed to walk away with a draw in the only Test of their tour to Pakistan. Pakistan had now lost four, and drawn four of their last eight Tests. In March 1965, Pakistan bounced back with a 2-0 series win over New Zealand at home to end their streak.
Pakistan had a second streak of eight winless Tests at home from 1998 to 2000. In the first Test of their series against Australia at Rawalpindi, Pakistan was blown away by an innings. The next two Tests at Peshawar and Karachi were draws, but the Peshawar Test is famous for Mark Taylor’s 334*.
Pakistan’s next series was against Zimbabwe, and after an embarrassing loss at Peshawar, Bad weather in Lahore let Zimbabwe walk away with a series win. Sri Lanka showed up in 1999 for the Asian Test Championship match at Lahore which petered out to a draw.
Sri Lanka’s Test tour to Pakistan in 2000 fared differently. Sri Lanka won the first two matches at Rawalpindi and Peshawar before Pakistan picked up a consolation win at Karachi. For the second time, Pakistan had gone eight Tests at home losing four and drawing four.
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2. 10 matches*(2022-24)
This is a currently ongoing streak and possibly the most infamous one given its nature. The streak started in 2022 when Australia visited Pakistan for a 3-match series and the first two Tests – at Rawalpindi and Karachi – were criticized for producing very flat and lifeless surfaces. Although Babar Azam’s fourth innings 196 at Karachi put Pakistan very close to winning but they couldn’t close out the job. The third Test at Lahore played out differently as Australia put up a spirited bowling performance to take a 1-0 series win.
Pakistan continued to present lifeless surfaces that provided the perfect stage for England and their “Bazball” style of play to pick up a 3-0 series win in Pakistan. The series was characterized by England’s approach of scoring very fast and allowing themselves enough time to pick all 20 wickets. It was the first time that Pakistan had been whitewashed in a home Test series.
The next series vs New Zealand also exemplified this when a combination of flat pitches and bad weather rendered the two-match series a 0-0 draw. And this was followed by a series which will almost surely be a part of cricketing folklore. Pakistan’s losses to Bangladesh.
In the first Test Pakistan declared at 448/6 with Mohammad Rizwan batting on 171, Mushfiqur Rahim’s 191 was then a crucial cog in giving Bangladesh the lead, on a lifeless surface, Pakistan collapsed in their second innings and Bangladesh completed the job. With weather looming over the second Test, this game had more help for the bowlers as Pakistan made 274 but put Bangladesh at 26/6.
Litton Das’s century brought Bangladesh back into the game before Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana combined to take 9 wickets and create history as Bangladesh chased the target given to them. And so, Pakistan have now lost six, and drawn four of their last 10 home Tests.
This streak is still ongoing, and Pakistan has five home Tests in the coming six months.
1. 11 matches (1969-75)
The highs of the 1965 series win against New Zealand, did not last long for Pakistan. Their next home series was against England in 1969, but all three matches finished as draws. Later that year, New Zealand visited for a three-match series where the first and third Tests were drawn but the visitors won the second Test at Lahore. Pakistan had to wait another four years until their next home series, three Tests against England in 1973, and just like last time, all three Tests were drawn.
Almost two years passed by before Pakistan played another home test, this time against West Indies in 1975. Both the matches of these two-Test series ended in draws. Pakistan had now gone six years, playing 11 home Tests and losing just one. They finally registered a win against New Zealand in their next home Test in 1976.