Pakistan find themselves in the midst of a difficult phase in international cricket, facing struggles across formats. Their latest setback came last month when they lost a home Test series to Bangladesh 0-2, an unprecedented clean-sweep that sent shockwaves. This result has only deepened the criticism surrounding Pakistan’s performance, especially in the longest format.
With a challenging three-match Test series against England beginning Monday, all eyes are now on Pakistan as they seek to redeem themselves and silence their doubters.
However, it appears that old habits persist, potentially hindering any resurgence. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has shed light on a recurring issue – Pakistan’s batters continue to push for flat pitches at home. This trend has often backfired, preventing the team from developing resilience on more sporting wickets and contributing to their inconsistent Test record in recent years.
Head coach Jason Gillespie, however, has taken a firm stance against such demands, according to Basit. The former cricketer revealed that Gillespie has given the batters a “shut-up call” in response to their requests.
“I will give you an inside story. Jason Gillespie has handed a shut-up call to Pakistan batters. He wants the pitch to remain the same that has been prepared by the groundsman,” Basit revealed on his official YouTube channel.
“Pakistan batters wanted to cut off the grass to make it a flat pitch. The pitch curator and Gillespie want to play on the same pitch. I would be really happy if the match took place on a grassy surface and our bowlers took wickets.”
The flat pitches in Pakistan have been scrutinized since 2022, when the country began regularly hosting major Test-playing nations at home. Under the leadership of Babar Azam, Pakistan faced Test series defeats to Australia and England in the same year, and the pitches on offer throughout the two series were deemed unsporting; in fact, the pitch in Rawalpindi was also handed demerit points across both series.
Desperate to end winless streak
Pakistan has gone 1,338 days without a Test victory on home soil, with their last red-ball win coming against South Africa in February 2021. Under Shan Masood, Pakistan are yet to clinch a victory; they faced a 0-3 defeat to Australia Down Under last year, and then endured a tough clean-sweep defeat to Bangladesh at home.
