AB de Villiers criticised Pakistan batsmen for failing to show fight and surrendering soft wickets after being bowled out under 200
The former South Africa captain stated that the team's struggles stem from a lack of character and leadership rather than just boardroom decisions
De Villiers hit out at the Pakistan Cricket Board for frequent chopping and changing of captains and coaches, citing administrative instability
AB de Villiers has blamed Pakistan's players for failing to show enough fight after two heavy Test defeats in England, even as the Pakistan Cricket Board made sweeping changes before the series finale. Pakistan lost the first two Tests at Headingley and Lord's, then sent seven players home ahead of the third Test in Birmingham and replaced Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed with white-ball coach Mike Hesson.
De Villiers argued that the problems run deeper than boardroom decisions. The Times of India reported that he said the players themselves must take responsibility for Pakistan's poor run.
The Babar Azam-led side now head into the third and final Test under pressure after a miserable start to the tour. The defeats have sharpened scrutiny on both the batting unit and the PCB's handling of the team.
De Villiers' Critique
Pakistan's batting slump stood out. The side failed to cross 200 in any of its four innings in the first two Tests.
The first match ended inside three days. The second stretched into a fourth day largely because of rain, underlining how little resistance Pakistan managed with the bat.
“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.
Character Over Aesthetics
De Villiers framed Test cricket as a measure of temperament more than style. He said ugly runs and hard sessions are part of the format.
“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.
He then widened the point to leadership. “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.
“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 Concerns
De Villiers did not spare the PCB. He linked Pakistan's decline to repeated changes in leadership and coaching over recent years.
That churn has been visible. Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten left after allegedly being sidelined by the selection committee headed by Aaqib Javed, adding to the sense of instability around the side.
“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 as Pakistan try to rebuild after the heavy defeats in England. De Villiers said continuity now matters as much as selection changes.
Final Test Pressure
Pakistan now have one last chance to respond. They face England in the third and final Test in Birmingham after major changes before the series has even ended.
That leaves the side under pressure to show more fight in the final match. The changes off the field will now be judged against what happens on it.
“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.
