Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said his side must address serious shortcomings in batting, bowling and fielding after England crushed Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs in the first Test at Headingley on Friday.
The defeat, completed inside three days, extended Pakistan’s poor run away from home and left Salman acknowledging that England had outplayed his team in every department.
“England outplayed us in every department,” Salman said at the post-match press conference. “We were not consistent enough in both batting and bowling.”
Pakistan had arrived in England with optimism about conditions that were expected to offer assistance to their bowlers, but England’s pace attack exploited the movement far more effectively. Salman said Pakistan’s problem was not simply a lack of speed but an inability to maintain accuracy.
“Our bowling attack, no one has blamed the pace that they don’t have pace. But in this match, we saw that there was no accuracy in bowling,” he said.
England’s fast bowlers repeatedly troubled Pakistan’s batsmen, with the hosts securing a commanding advantage after dismissing Pakistan for 113 in the first innings. England then piled on the pressure with the bat before Pakistan were bowled out again in the second innings.
Salman said the conditions in England demanded sustained discipline from both batsmen and bowlers.
“When you come to England, consistency is very important,” he said. “Here, while bowling, there is lateral movement, and it’s the same during batting. So you have to maintain consistency and focus at all times.”
Pakistan’s preparation has also been questioned after the captain revealed that the team arrived in England only a week before the Test.
“In England, the tour of Pakistan or any team is always challenging because you come from a completely different condition,” Salman said. “We came a week ago. I don’t think a week is enough to get used to this condition.”
He rejected the idea, however, that the defeat demonstrated a lack of ability within the Pakistan squad.
“We have so much ability that if we play on our potential, we can make a strong comeback,” he said. “We were not able to execute our plan.”
Salman acknowledged that Pakistan are rebuilding and that their bowling attack lacks experience in English conditions. He singled out Mohammad Abbas as having previous experience of bowling in England, while describing the rest of the attack as relatively inexperienced in Test cricket.
“So it’s not about worrying about the future, it’s about making a future,” he said.
The captain also conceded that Pakistan could benefit from greater pace. Bowlers capable of consistently reaching 140 kph or more, he said, would strengthen the attack in virtually any conditions.
“If you have pace, it’s good for any condition, not even England,” Salman said. “If you go anywhere, if someone can bowl 140-plus, you will definitely add him in your team.”
Pakistan do have bowlers capable of touching that speed, he added, but not consistently.
The batting was another major concern. Salman admitted that he, Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, senior members of the batting group, had not produced the partnerships Pakistan had previously relied upon to rescue innings or win matches.
“We are not performing like that,” he said, referring to the last two or three series, particularly the tours of the West Indies and England. “It definitely is a concerning sign.”
“We are not playing well for sure when it comes to away series,” Salman said. “We haven’t won and we haven’t done well anywhere in the world. And this is concerning.”
He said the players had discussed the issue repeatedly, including among themselves outside formal team meetings, and insisted the squad was trying to turn its fortunes around.
Salman also acknowledged that Pakistan’s body language in the field was below the required standard. While he said difficult periods with the bat and ball could affect a team’s energy, he rejected that as an excuse.
“Body language always has to be up,” he said. “We always need to be on our toes.”
Asked whether Pakistan were now regarded as one of the weakest teams in their history, Salman dismissed the wider criticism and pointed to the difficulty Asian sides traditionally face when adapting to English conditions.
“You can say anything,” he said. “Any Asian team comes here, they struggle early on.”