Basit Ali discusses Pakistan’s challenges in South Africa Test series

Former Pakistani cricketer and analyst Basit Ali shared his thoughts on Pakistan’s recent Test series whitewash against South Africa. While addressing the loss, Ali acknowledged the disappointment but highlighted the strength of the opposition, noting, “This is the same South African team that reached the World Test Championship final.” Comparing the current whitewash to past defeats, he remarked, “The loss against Bangladesh hurt much more than this one.”

Ali also pointed out the positives from the series, particularly the comeback of pacer Mohammad Abbas after three years. He commented, “The world saw that Abbas still has the potential, especially on lively pitches.” Reflecting on individual performances, he praised Shan Masood’s innings, though he acknowledged it was slower on the second day. “Shan played a responsible knock, but the team’s poor first innings performance, where they only managed 194, was the turning point,” Ali said.

He also shared his views on the need for player replacements in cases of injury, citing the example of Saim Ayub, whose absence impacted Pakistan’s batting. Ali suggested, “The ICC should introduce a rule for injury replacements similar to concussion substitutes.”

Addressing the performance of South African bowlers, he noted their mastery of reverse swing. “Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada have clearly mastered reverse swing, which troubled Pakistan's batters,” he said. Ali also praised South African spinner Keshav Maharaj for exploiting Pakistan’s hesitation to attack, saying, “Maharaj bowled fearlessly, and our batters didn’t counter him effectively,” he added. 

On Pakistan’s team dynamics, he expressed concerns about the lack of 140+ kph bowlers in the Test squad, stressing the need for genuine pace on competitive tracks. He concluded by reflecting on the resilience of cricket, saying, “Every rise has a fall, and every fall has a rise. These defeats should serve as wake-up calls for Pakistan ahead of major events.”

South Africa's commanding series victory earned them a place in the World Test Championship final, leaving Pakistan to address critical concerns about their readiness for future challenges, including the West Indies series.