Pakistan's dressing room has descended into open discord following their stunning defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test in Dhaka, with skipper Shan Masood and pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi reportedly clashing in a heated altercation after the match. The loss — Pakistan's third consecutive defeat against Bangladesh — has exposed deep fault lines within the squad and triggered a crisis of accountability.

How the Defeat Unfolded

Pakistan were bowled out for a paltry 163 in their second innings on Tuesday, failing to survive even two sessions while chasing 268. The total stands as their second lowest ever against Bangladesh. The collapse follows two home losses to the Tigers in 2024, cementing a pattern of underperformance that the team management can no longer dismiss as an aberration.

The Shan-Afridi Altercation

According to sources, a visibly frustrated Shan Masood confronted his bowlers after the defeat, singling out the pace attack's lack of intensity. He reportedly pointed to Shaheen Shah Afridi's average speed of 132 kph — significantly below the 145 kph average clocked by Bangladesh's Nahid Rana — as a key reason Pakistan failed to build pressure. 'We failed to create pressure because of lack of speed and that is alarming,' Shan told the bowlers, according to sources.

Afridi reportedly fired back, blaming the batting unit's failure to secure a first-innings lead and telling the captain to focus on his own batting. Shan managed scores of just 9 and 2 in the Test — the lowest by any top-four batter from either side.

Rizwan Under the Microscope

Senior wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan also came under scrutiny from the coaching staff. Rizwan was reportedly set on 59 and Pakistan appeared poised to build a commanding lead before he played a rash shot and was dismissed. Sources indicate the coaching staff stopped short of a formal reprimand but made clear their displeasure. Pakistan's collapse from 5 for 349 to 368 conceded a 27-run first-innings lead to Bangladesh rather than establishing the advantage the team needed.

WTC Points Deducted, Ranking Slides

The on-field damage was compounded off it. Match referee Jeff Crowe docked Pakistan eight World Test Championship (WTC) points for a slow over rate, finding the side eight overs short across the match. All players were also fined 40 percent of their match fee. Sources say Shan was repeatedly warned by the team analyst about the slow over rate session by session but failed to act. Pakistan now sit eighth in the nine-team WTC table, one place above the West Indies, having previously held 12 points from a win against South Africa.

Changes Expected for Second Test

Pakistan are reportedly set to drop Shaheen Shah Afridi and opener Imam-ul-Haq for the second Test, beginning in Sylhet on Saturday. Babar Azam, fit again, is expected to return to the XI alongside red-ball specialist Khurram Shahzad. The team management also denied reports that Babar had sought to avoid the Dhaka Test after seeing a green-top pitch at Sher-e-Bangla stadium, calling the claims without basis. Calls to drop Rizwan in favour of newcomer Ghazi Ghori were considered but ultimately set aside by the management. With the series and WTC aspirations both under threat, the second Test in Sylhet will be a defining moment for Pakistan's red-ball setup.