Pakistan’s recent struggles have sparked plenty of criticism of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), but former South Africa captain AB de Villiers believes the players themselves must also take responsibility for the team’s alarming performances.The Babar Azam-led Pakistan side endured a miserable start to its England tour, suffering heavy defeats in the first two Tests at Headingley and Lord’s. The results prompted the PCB to make sweeping changes ahead of the third and final Test in Birmingham, including sending seven players home and replacing Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed with white-ball coach Mike Hesson.However, de Villiers believes the problems extend beyond the boardroom. The former Proteas skipper questioned whether enough Pakistan players are willing to put in the hard work required to succeed in Test cricket, particularly when conditions become difficult.
De Villiers questions Pakistan’s character
Pakistan’s struggles with the bat were particularly concerning during the opening two Tests. The first match finished inside three days, while the second went into a fourth day largely because of rain.Across four innings, Pakistan failed to score 200 even once, leaving de Villiers questioning the team’s ability to withstand pressure and fight through difficult periods.“I don’t often currently see a lot of Pakistan players individually being prepared to put in those extra hard yards. Especially with the batting unit. Not enough, what’s the word, guts. Fight. It doesn’t always have to be pretty. Lots of soft wickets, and that’s what it comes down to. It’s a decision that you make,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.The former South Africa captain explained that he viewed Test cricket as an opportunity to demonstrate mental strength rather than simply focus on aesthetics or personal statistics.“It’s sometimes ugly and terribly difficult to watch. If I played for my ego, I probably would have been a different player. It was always about how much character I could show out here today. It always felt like a threat to my character from the opposition. That’s the way I decided to play the situation,” he added.De Villiers believes that quality performances in Test cricket often come down to a player’s ability to respond when circumstances are stacked against them.“I always felt that Test cricket was a test of your character. That’s maybe what Pakistan is lacking at the moment. A bit of character, a bit of fight. An individual leadership group of four or five players who decide together, you know what, let’s be the leaders here and show the guys,” said the former Proteas skipper.He added: “Let’s be the example. Show the youngsters what it takes to win Test matches, ODIs, or T20S. Maybe that is the area they’re lacking in.”
PCB instability also a major concern
While de Villiers was critical of the players, he did not absolve the PCB of responsibility.Pakistan cricket has gone through repeated changes in leadership and coaching in recent years, with several coaches and captains coming and going. Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, for instance, departed after allegedly being sidelined by the selection committee headed by Aaqib Javed.De Villiers believes this instability has played a part in Pakistan’s decline and stressed the importance of giving the current leadership greater continuity.“Also, a bit of mismanagement from the top. Lots of chopping and changing. Lots of changes in leadership. Babar is back now. So hopefully he gets an extended run, stays fit, and starts scoring runs again like we all know he can. And for his fellow teammates to start following that lead,” said de Villiers.Babar’s return to the leadership group comes at a difficult moment for Pakistan, with the team attempting to rebuild following the heavy defeats in England.
De Villiers hopes Pakistan can recover
Despite his criticism, de Villiers remains hopeful that Pakistan can rediscover the quality that has made them competitive across formats.He believes a stronger leadership group, greater character from the players and improved stability at the administrative level could help the team turn things around.“So that’s my long and short on Pakistan cricket. Hopefully they’ll make their way back to the form and to the team that we know they can be in all formats of the game,” he concluded.Pakistan will now have one final opportunity to respond on the England tour when they face the hosts in the third and final Test in Birmingham. With major changes already made before the series has concluded, the team will be under pressure to show considerably more fight and character in the final match.
