‘I don’t have enough courage’: AB de Villiers questions Pakistan players’ hunger after England defeat

Ab de Villiers and Babar Azam (Image Agency) Pakistan’s recent struggles have drawn a lot of criticism from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), but former South Africa captain AB de Villiers believes the players themselves must take responsibility for the team’s worrying performances.The Babar Azam-led Pakistan side endured a miserable start to their England tour, suffering heavy defeats in the first two Tests at Headingley and Lord’s. The results prompted the PCB to make major changes ahead of the third and final Test in Birmingham, including sending home seven players and replacing Test coach Sarfaraz Ahmed with white-ball coach Mike Hesson.But De Villiers believes the problems go beyond the boardroom. The former Proteas captain questioned whether enough Pakistani players are willing to put in the hard work required to succeed in Test cricket, especially when the conditions get tough.

De Villiers questions Pakistan’s character

Pakistan’s struggles with the bat were particularly worrying during the opening two Tests. The first match ended in three days, while the second ended on the fourth day largely due to rain.In four innings, Pakistan failed to score 200 even once, so de Villiers doubted the team’s ability to withstand the pressure and fight through difficult periods.“I don’t often see many Pakistani players these days who are individually 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 it goes. It’s a decision you make,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.The former South Africa captain explained that he viewed Test cricket as an opportunity to demonstrate mental strength rather than simply focusing on aesthetics or personal statistics.“Sometimes it’s ugly and terribly difficult to watch. If I played for my ego, I would probably be a different player. It was always about what kind of character I could show here today. It was always a threat to my character from the opposition. So I decided to play that situation,” he added.De Villiers believes that quality performances in Test cricket often depend on a player’s ability to react when the circumstances are against them.“I’ve always felt that Test cricket was a test of your character. That’s maybe what Pakistan lacks 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 leaders here and show the boys,” the former Proteas captain said.He added: “Let’s lead by example. Show the youngsters what it takes to win Test matches, ODIs or T20S. Maybe that’s the area they lack.”

PCB instability is also a big problem

While de Villiers was critical of the players, he did not absolve the PCB of responsibility.Pakistan cricket has undergone repeated management and coaching changes in recent years, with several coaches and captains coming and going. Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, for example, left after they were reportedly dropped by the Aaqib Javed-led selection committee.De Villiers believes that this instability played a role in Pakistan’s decline and stressed the importance of providing more continuity to the current leadership.“A bit of mismanagement from the top too. A lot of chopping and changing. A lot of leadership changes. Babar is back now. So hopefully he’ll lengthen, stay fit and start scoring runs again like we all know he can. And for his teammates to start following that lead,” de Villiers said.Babar’s return to the senior fold comes at a difficult time for Pakistan as the team tries to rebuild after heavy defeats in England.

De Villiers hopes Pakistan will bounce back

Despite his criticism, de Villiers remains hopeful that Pakistan can rediscover the quality that makes them competitive across formats.He believes a stronger leadership group, more character in the players and better stability at the administrative level could help the team turn things around.“So that’s my long and short of Pakistan cricket. Hopefully he’ll get back into form and into a team that we know can be in all formats of the game,” he concluded.Pakistan will now have their last chance to respond to the tour of England when they take on the hosts in the third and final Test in Birmingham. With big changes already made before the end of the series, the team will be under pressure to show a lot more fight and character in the final match.