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KARACHI, Pakistan, Thursday (Reuters) - It usually takes just one bad defeat to open up old wounds, launch inquiries, unsettle the team or even make heads roll in the fragile world of Pakistan cricket.

Pakistan's crushing defeat to Sri Lanka in the Asian Test Championship final in Lahore at the weekend did not immediately produce the same dramatic fallout, perhaps because the team's six consecutive test wins since last May were not easily forgotten.

But critics are now looking for someone to blame for the eight-wicket defeat.

Some blame bad captaincy by Waqar Younis, some have pinpointed the pitch and others have targeted the attitude of the Pakistan players.

Both Waqar and the selectors have also been taken to task for not playing veteran all-rounder Wasim Akram and the seasoned Saqlain Mushtaq in the final.

Very few Pakistan fans seem willing to accept that, in Lahore, Sri Lanka were simply the better side. They have now won nine tests in a row since July, including three series triumphs as well as the Asian Test Championship title.

In Pakistani cricket, there is nearly always talk of a conspiracy theory behind every unexpected defeat.

Even Waqar seemed to follow that trend when he pleaded at the post-match news conference in Lahore that "there is no disharmony in the team".

"The players are supporting me and we just have to learn from our mistakes," he said.

"The performance was very disappointing for us," a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman told Reuters. "But we must move forward and hopefully the players will now put their heads together and get back on track."

"I just hope the players learn from this defeat and apply themselves," PCB chairman Tauqir Zia told reporters before leaving to attend this week's International Cricket Council (ICC) executive board meeting in Cape Town.

PCB sources say Zia has asked Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed to brief him on why his side produced such a listless performance in Lahore.

STRONG REACTION

"Such a strong reaction is nothing new in Pakistan cricket, given the passion with which our people follow the game," former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad told Reuters.

"But we need to adopt a more mature approach to defeat. There were basic mistakes made in the (Lahore) test and the Sri Lankans took advantage of that."

"Given that our batting had struggled even in Bangladesh and Sharjah, I think we should not have left the outcome of the test on the toss of the coin," said former Pakistan test batsman Sadiq Mohammad.

Former PCB chief executive Arif Abbasi believes the omission of Wasim and Saqlain was a gamble which contributed to the defeat.

"You can't discard players of their calibre without having replacements," he said. "If fitness is the worry, then the board must work on their fitness and back them up -- as they have (with) Shoaib Akhtar."

The PCB has planned a national training camp from March 22 where the team can regroup and attempt to avoid the mistakes made in the past few seasons at home.

Pakistan's home record, which features nine test losses since 1995, includes a first test defeat in 32 matches against England at Karachi's National Stadium.

New Zealand arrive in Pakistan next month and should know soon if they will get the same opportunities or face a rejuvenated Pakistani side.

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