Naseem Shah criticized the PCB for poor pitch conditions in the Rawalpindi Test, urging for result-oriented surfaces that either support fast bowlers or assist spinners to better use Pakistan’s home advantage.
Naseem Shah’s frustration with the Rawalpindi pitch was evident after Pakistan struggled to make an impact on the fourth day of the Test against Bangladesh. Despite a strong effort from the ground staff, the pitch offered little assistance to the bowlers, allowing Bangladesh’s lower middle order to amass 565 runs over 167 overs. This performance ended Pakistan’s hopes of securing their first home Test win since 2021.
Naseem, returning from a long-term injury, bowled 27.3 overs and took 3 wickets for 93 runs. His concerns highlighted the need for Pakistan to rethink their approach to preparing pitches that provide a genuine home advantage, especially in such challenging conditions.
“We need to be honest. It’s been too many series where we get these types of pitches. The ground staff tried their best to make this pitch good for bowling, but perhaps because of the heat and sunshine, there isn’t much help from the pitch. We need to think about how to extract home advantage, because you have to find a way to produce results from these games, otherwise you’re not utilizing home advantage,” Naseem said in the post-match press conference.
Pakistan’s expectations for a pace-friendly surface against Bangladesh were met with disappointment. The team, confident in their pitch preparation under the guidance of Australian curator Tony Hemmings, opted for an all-pace attack. However, the pitch failed to deliver the expected support for fast bowlers, leaving them struggling in nearly 40-degree heat. Pakistan also lagged behind in the over rate, despite using 50 overs of spin to ease the workload on their fast bowlers.
“The kind of weather we have right now, it’s extremely hot, and we didn’t get the kind of help from the surface as a bowling unit as we expected. If we’re incapable of making the sort of pitches that help fast bowlers, then we should look at whether we can produce spin wickets. However you do it, you need to use home advantage. People come to enjoy Test cricket in this heat, so you need to entertain them. What shouldn’t happen is you’re on the field at home and thinking this is hard work. The more you keep cricket entertaining, the better. It’s something we need to seriously think about,” Naseem said.
“We believed the fast bowlers would get plenty of help here. But what we were expecting didn’t exactly happen. With four fast bowlers, your mindset is to take wickets with the quick balls. However, I don’t think it’ll spin either, because there’s grass on the pitch. But the pitch is very dry underneath, and the ball isn’t getting much help off the grass because of that, even if it appears like it might off the surface,” he added.
READ ALSO | Pakistan Cricket Struggles to Attract Broadcasters; PAK vs ENG Series Live Telecasting In Doubt
Pakistan’s struggles in home Test matches continue, with their last win dating back to the 2020-21 series against South Africa. Since then, they have failed to secure a win in eight Tests, drawing four and losing four. Their home Test pitches, once known for their pace and bounce, have become challenging for fast bowlers since 2022. The trend towards flat pitches became evident in the 2022 Rawalpindi Test against Australia, where only 14 wickets fell in five days. Since then, such batting-friendly surfaces have become common, especially in Rawalpindi and Karachi. Bowlers in Pakistan now average over 43 runs per wicket, the highest among Test-playing nations, with Pakistan often struggling to bowl out teams in lengthy innings.
Last Updated on August 25, 2024
Senior Sports Copywriter
