Jason Gillespie gave a dressing down to Pakistan batters including Babar Azam, after they reportedly wanted the curator of the Multan ground to prepare a flat pitch for the first Test against England. The three-Test series begins on Monday with the second and third Tests to be played in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan is in the midst of a rough time in international cricket, with troubles across formats. 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.
Their most recent defeat occurred last month when they lost a home Test series to Bangladesh 0-2—a historic clean sweep that caused shockwaves. This result has only fueled the criticism of Pakistan's performance, particularly in the longer format.
It indicates that old behaviors continue, which may impede any resurgence. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has shed light on a reoccurring issue: Pakistan's batters continue to advocate for flat fields at home.
This tendency has frequently backfired, hindering the side from gaining resilience on more sporty pitches and contributing to their patchy Test record in recent years.
Basit Ali stated that head coach Jason Gillespie has taken a tough stand against such demands. According to the former cricketer, Gillespie has given the batsmen a "shut-up call" in response to their pleas.
“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 groundsmen. 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,” Basit Ali said on his YouTube Channel.
Pakistan's flat pitches have been criticized since 2022 when the country began hosting major Test-playing nations at home.
Under Babar Azam's captaincy, Pakistan suffered Test series defeats to Australia and England in the same year, and the pitches available throughout the two series were judged unsporting; in fact, the surface in Rawalpindi received demerit points in both series.
