"If you are Babar Azam and you go two games without a half century or a hundred, the pressure builds, let alone eight, nine Tests" - Nasser Hussain
Former England captain Nasser Hussain feels the pressure is mounting on the woefully out-of-form Babar Azam after his twin failures in the first Test against England in Multan. Babar scored only 35 runs across the two innings as Pakistan suffered an embarassing innings and 47-run defeat.
It made 18 consecutive Test innings over nine matches for the ace batter without reaching even a half-century. Not helping matters is Pakistan's recent Test struggles with the side losing its last six outings, including three at home.
Speaking to Sky Sports at the end of the first Test, Hussain said of Babar's continued faliures:
"Their (Pakistan) best player - a world-class player - Babar Azam is horrendously out of form. It's nine Test matches without a half century - on these pitches! Maybe that's psychological, with everything that he's been through, giving up the white-ball captaincy? In this part of the world, if you are Babar Azam and you go two games without a half century or a hundred, the pressure builds, let alone eight, nine Tests. The pressure is on him, definitely."
Hussain also looked into Pakistan's overall struggles and pointed to their lack of world-class spinners.
"Spin hasn't seemed to be much of a threat. Where are they with their spinners? Historically, we would have played against Abdul Qadir, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed. They've always produced great mystery spinners," he said.
The former captain also feels Pakistan's fast-bowlers lacked pace, making it a tough combination to overcome.
"And express pace: you wouldn't say any of their three seamers that they are playing at the moment are express pace. That's a dangerous combination. You have a top order that's failing in the second innings and you're not sure what pitch to prepare that suits your bowling attack," Hussain stated.
Pakistan conceded the fourth-highest Test score in the first Test with England finishing on 823/7 declared in the first innings.
It was also just the second occasion of six bowlers conceding over 100 runs in the same innings in Test history.
"I don't blame Shan Masood" - Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain feels the blame for Pakistan's Test struggles should not fall solely on skipper Shan Masood, considering the constant personnel changes behind the scenes.
Masood took over captaincy from Babar Azam at the end of last year but to no avail as Pakistan have lost all six Tests under him.
"I don't blame Shan Masood. You have to look at what goes on behind the scenes in Pakistan cricket. Name me one sporting environment, team or a business that does well with constant change behind the scenes, constant changes in chairman of selectors, chief executives, captains, coaches. It's all down, and it all has a Groundhog Day feel to it," said Hussain.
Pakistan have not won a home Test match since the South Africa series in February 2021.
They will look to avoid yet another home series defeat in the second England Test, starting in Multan on October 15.