The Rawalpindi Test between Pakistan and England has so far been run fest for both sides. Batting first, the visitors piled up a mammoth 657/10 at a rapid pace of 6.5 an over with their four batters – Harry Brook (153), Zak Crawley (122), Ben Duckett (107) and Ollie Pope (108) – smashing centuries.
In reply, the hosts were 499/7 at the close of play on Day 3 with Abdullah Shafique (114), Imam-ul-Haq (121) and Babar Azam (136) also slamming hundreds.
No wonder, the Rawalpindi track is drawing flak from across the cricketing world. On Saturday (December 3), former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi also criticized the pitch, claiming that no one enjoys such matches and tailender Naseem Shah can also score 70-80 runs on this deck.
“You don't enjoy such matches. Ek stage pe toh mera dil nahi chaa raha tha match dekhne ka. Bohot hi boring ho gaya tha, bowlers ke liye kuch hai hi nahi. Batsmen bhi agar maar diye toh maar diye. Maza nahi aaya. Allah kare ki result aaye, inki bowling lineup bhi aisi hai ki shayad Pakistan ko do baar out naa kar paayein. (At one stage, I didn't feel like watching the game. It became boring, there's nothing for the bowlers. Hope there's a result, because I don't think England can bowl Pakistan out twice),” said Afridi on Samaa TV.
“Hamko agar final me jaana hai, badi badi teams ko haraana hai, toh hamein bowlers ko confidence dena padega. Ham shell pe chale jaate hain ki kahi batsman naa out ho jaayein. Come on, thoda positive sochna padega. Hamaari batting achhi hai, achhi seaming pitches khilao. Inn pitches pe Naseem Shah bhi 70-80 runs kar dega. (If we have to play in the WTC final, beat big teams, we have to give bowlers confidence. We just can't live in fear that our batsmen will get out early. We have to get our batsmen to play on seaming pitches. On such pitches (like Rawalpindi), even Naseem Shah can score 70-80 runs)," he added.
Earlier, Shahid Afridi has slammed PCB chief Ramiz Raja for sounding confused on the matter regarding the preparation of Test match pitches.
"The way Ramiz was speaking...I mean I was shocked to listen him saying that we cannot make tracks like these. International matches have been going on in Pakistan for such a long time but then we say stuff like these. Ramiz said that he wanted a turning track I feel in this weather it would have been something big. Rawalpindi track has always been for the fast bowlers with seam and bounce. Why did they even change it? We now fear losing this Test and we want to win but don't know the technique," Afridi stated
"If we are talking about the Rawalpindi pitch, I have never seen a track like this. I have a lot of domestic games as well there, but I have never seen a pitch like this which is so flat. It reminded me of Faisalbad or Sialkot track. The four big venues - Multan, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi - I have seen fast bowlers enjoy those tracks because of the bounce. In fact, there was a time when we used to see a lot many fast bowlers coming from Rawalpindi," he further remarked.
