PAK vs BAN 2026: Mohammad Amir’s ‘Associate-Level Team’ Jibe Leaves Pakistan Embarrassed After Bangladesh Humiliation
Pakistan lose to Bangladesh by 8 wickets in first ODI after T20 World Cup, as Mohammad Amir slams team selection and batting approach
Pakistan’s first ODI after their T20 World Cup exit ended in a shock defeat as Bangladesh cruised to an eight-wicket win while chasing just 115.
Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in 30.4 overs after Bangladesh asked them to bat first. The batting line-up struggled from the start and never built any strong partnerships.
Bangladesh completed the chase in only 15.1 overs. The win was set up by fast bowler Nahid Rana, who tore through Pakistan’s batting with a five-wicket haul.
The quick collapse and the one-sided chase sparked strong criticism from former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir.
Amir warned that Pakistan could slip further if the team management continues to drop senior players and rely only on youngsters.
“We are now starting to lose to Bangladesh. I’m worried we might even become an associate-level team,” Amir said on Facebook after the match, as quoted by Bangladesh publication Daily Star.
He also questioned the decision to leave out experienced players like Babar Azam from the side.
“You can’t just drop senior players and play only youngsters. There needs to be guidance and experience in the team,” he said.
Amir also pointed out technical problems in the batting approach of young players. According to him, many batters are too dependent on shots towards mid-wicket.
“It’s common now for young players to only play towards mid-wicket. When the ball is on the off-stump, they don’t know how to deal with it,” Amir said.
He referred to Shamyl Hussain’s dismissal while attempting a mid-wicket shot and said young batters must learn to score on the off side as well.
“Young players need to understand that runs can also be scored on the off side or over mid-off,” he added.
Amir also criticised Pakistan’s bowling effort. He said the bowlers failed to make use of the same pitch where Bangladesh’s batters found scoring easy.
“Our bowling was disappointing. On the same wicket where we struggled, Bangladesh chased the target very quickly,” he said.
The defeat has also triggered strong reactions from fans and Pakistani media, with many questioning the selection of an inexperienced team.
“Experimenting is fine, but the team still needs basic batting discipline. This collapse shows serious problems,” one fan wrote on social media.
The loss has added pressure on Pakistan’s selectors and team management, as the rebuilding phase after the T20 World Cup has started with a worrying result.
