Losing a sense of purpose is the worst thing for a cricket team. For the past three years, Pakistan has been lost, searching for a template that will allow them to win at home by combining the resources and conditions. The devastating defeat in the first Multan Test forced Pakistan to adopt a blueprint, and they now appear determined to follow it after it led to an elusive Test victory at home.
After Pakistan’s first win in a Test at home in three years and eight months, Shan Masood highlighted the need to understand the idiosyncrasies of each venue so he can line up bowling attacks – according to the demands of the venue they are playing at – to take 20 wickets across the country. However, Pakistan seems to be happy to go with the one-size-fits-all approach. For the past three days, painstaking efforts have been underway in Rawalpindi to emulate the pitch on which Pakistan beat England by 152 runs in the second Test.
The Pindi Cricket Stadium has historically been a seamer-friendly venue. Since the return of Tests here in 2019, the spinners have averaged 50, and the faster bowlers have taken a wicket for every 34 runs. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s tinkering with the surface’s characteristics for the Tests against Australia in March 2022 and England in December 2022 turned it into one of the flattest pitches around the globe, with England racking up over 657 in 101 overs on their last tour.
To determine how many turns were available, three or four cricket players from a nearby club and Aaqib Javed, one of the three recently recruited selectors on the now five-member committee, rolled their arms on the field for the third Test on Sunday. They bowled to Aleem Dar, who is currently a member of Pakistan’s selection committee and retired earlier this year as an international umpire.
To dry the pitch, the ground crew then placed industrial-sized fans and windbreakers on either end and gas heaters on one side. On Monday and Tuesday, the supporters were still there.
“If you look at the difference between Multan and Pindi, there’s a difference of climate,” Saud Shakeel, Pakistan’s Test vice-captain, said after Pakistan’s training session on Tuesday. “Multan is warmer and more humid compared to Pindi. Pindi favours fast bowlers slightly and has more bounce, compared to Multan. The groundsman prepares according to that, and I think that’s what causes the changes in the pitch.
“But the way the pitch looks and the success we got in the second Test, we’ll try for a similar kind of pitch that favours us and helps us win this game.”
The square of the Pindi Cricket Stadium is lush green with only three strips – one at either end to be used as a practice pitch for each team and the Test pitch – shaved. It is understood that the reason behind leaving heavy grass on the square is to deprive England pacers of reverse swing and keep the ball hard so it assists spinners with sharp turn for a longer period.
England have responded to these developments by naming three specialist spinners – with the recall of Rehan Ahmed. Their pace attack comprises Gus Atkinson, who played the first Test, and Ben Stokes, who returned to cricket in the last Test after nine weeks and bowled only 10 overs equally split across the two innings.
Pakistan has not yet revealed its team for the pivotal Test. It is anticipated that the custom of naming its lineups will continue on the eve of the first two Test matches.
Shakeel responded, “I can’t say at the moment because we haven’t discussed this,” when asked what Pakistan’s lineup would look like for the third Test. “If there’s a spinning pitch, we may go with three spinners again.”
On Thursday, October 24, the third test will start.
