Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain called on Pakistan to look at how they prepare their pitches, saying their second-Test win over England on a used surface “cannot be the template”.
Pakistan levelled the three-match series against England with a convincing 152-run win in Multan, on a pitch that had already been used for the series opener, a game in which the tourists triumphed by an innings after scoring 823.
The flat pitch finally provided assistance to the bowlers in the second Test, and particularly Pakistan’s spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who shared all 20 England wickets.
“This cannot be the template for future cricket in Pakistan, to keep playing on the same surface,” said Hussain. “They need to look at their surfaces.
“But, if they find a winning formula, stick with it. Stick with this squad, stick with these two spinners, stick with the batting line-up, stick with the selectors and the captain.
“Go to Rawalpindi (for the third Test) and try to prepare the same sort of pitch, one that turns.
“Pakistan cricket, and I reckon Test cricket, needed this week more than last week. It was much, much more watchable.”
Rawalpindi pitch for third Test the ‘flattest of tracks’
Looking ahead of the third Test in Rawalpindi – live on Sky Sports Cricket from 5.30am, Thursday (first ball, 6am) – the early indications are that it will be another flat pitch favouring the batters.
Pakistan have not won in their last four Tests there, including famously losing to England in the opening Test of their 2022 tour, a match in which Ben Stokes’ side blasted 506 runs on the opening day’s play.
Pakistan also lost back-to-back Tests to Bangladesh in August, the first of those seeing 1,013 combined first-innings runs scored for a loss of 16 wickets.
“It has been the flattest of flat tracks that you can imagine,” former Pakistan women’s international, Urooj Mumtaz said.
“They tried to grow a little bit of grass on it (for the Bangladesh Tests), but it was still very, very flat and it did not provide the seam movement they had hoped for – albeit, the Pakistan bowlers did not bowl that well and didn’t use conditions particularly well.
“I don’t know how much it will turn, because it hasn’t in the recent past.”
Regardless of what pitch they are ultimately presented with in Rawalpindi, it is likely Pakistan will play an extra seamer in place of leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood, who only bowled six overs in the second Test.
Aamer Jamal was the only pace option in their attack, with Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah dropped for the second match of the series in favour of a side containing four front-line spinners and seven in total.
“Some will say the fact they’ve won will justify their team selection but I don’t agree with that at all,” Hussain said. “You still need a balanced side.
“I don’t want everyone to walk out this ground going, ‘right, that’s it, we’ve solved it’, because you may not be able to replicate these conditions.
“How do they continue the progress of these two spinners that bowled so beautifully here? How do they provide pitches for Naseem and Shaheen? This country has produced some great fast bowlers, so don’t just say, ‘we’re going to go with spin now’.
“They started with green pitches against Bangladesh, now we’re playing on spinning pitches. And that is a problem with Pakistan cricket… when they do lose, then they change the captain, they change the coach, change the selectors, the chairman, they change the pitches.
“And in the same way as don’t get too low when you’re losing, don’t get too up when you’re winning. Try to work out, how do we improve from this position?”
Masood praises debutant Kamran after ‘horrid’ criticism
Babar Azam was another notable omission from the Pakistan team for the second Test, with the former captain left out after a run without a Test fifty dating back to December 2022.
Kamran Ghulam came in and struck a century on debut, with captain Shan Masood critical of the noise around the selection after the team’s series-levelling win.
“I read some things that were horrid, even before he played his first Test match, so I can’t even imagine the pressure that someone can be under,” Masood said.
“It’s never easy when you’re replacing one of the best batters in the world.
“But we were all behind him and from the get-go, he seemed like he belonged. To get that century, that’s special.”
The Pakistan skipper added: “You have to applaud the group. They’ve been hungry.
“Three years and 11 months (without a home Test win), that creates hunger. You can’t doubt the effort of the boys, can’t doubt the commitment.
“It will be special for everyone, because it has come after some tough times.”
First Test: Multan – October 7-11 – England won by an innings and 47 runs
Second Test: Multan – October 15-19 – Pakistan won by 152 runs
Third Test: Rawalpindi – October 24-28
Watch the third and final Test between Pakistan and England live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am ahead of the first ball at 6am on Thursday, October 24 as the sides head to Rawalpindi.
