SA v PAK 2018-19: Kevin Pietersen sympathises with Pakistan batsmen after Test series loss

Pakistan failed to cross the 300 mark so far in the Test series.

Pakistan’s batting woes continue in South Africa | Getty Images

Kevin Pietersen, the former England captain and cricket commentator, sympathies with Pakistan batsmen after the touring side faced another defeat in the ongoing three-match Test series in South Africa, who have now taken a 2-0 lead in the series with Cape Town Test victory on January 7.

So far in the Test series, the Men in Green have failed to cross the 300-mark in four innings across two Tests in South Africa and Pietersen shared sympathies with the touring batsmen, as their batting woes continue on the rainbow nation.

He feels that the lack of preparation could be a reason behind their cheap downfall in South Africa, where a surface is always a difficult place for tourists to bat on.

Pakistan had only one warm-up game ahead of the Test series -a three day-match against Cricket South Africa Invitation XI in Benoni, which they won by six wickets, but they could not manage to maintain that form in the ongoing Test series, eventually lost first two Tests, especially because of their poor batting show here.

Pietersen said in a batting masterclass on Super Sport, “I sympathise with Pakistan batsmen. They haven’t had time to come to South Africa. They played one warm-up game in Benoni. What good is that? That is like playing in Sharjah where it does not get above the knee-roll.”

He added, “So, these guys haven’t had the opportunity to do it. It is like us going to the subcontinent. You think we, the England team, South Africa team or Australia team, would be able to go to Sri Lanka or India and perform after just arriving off an airplane? It’s completely different and alien to these guys.”

Noteworthy, the third and final Test will be played from January 11 at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg followed by five-match One Day International series and three T20 Internationals.

(With SuperSport Inputs)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 09 Jan, 2019

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