Pakistan’s record in Test cricket in recent times has been way below expectations, to say the least. The Pakistan team themselves have not won a single match at home in the last two-match Test series where flat decks were offered in most of the games. The team has lost back-to-back series in the World Test Championship calendar at the hands of Australia and England and is not struggling to win their series against Tim Southee’s New Zealand.
The issue with the pitch has been the main focus of the New Zealand tour as well, where the batting team is finding it pretty easy to score runs, something that has kept the home side at bay. After the draw in the first Karachi Test, the second Test also looks to be going along the same lines, with the pitch behaving like a road on Day 4.
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Commentator Simon Doull sounded frustrated with the same and asked live on air if such pitches were demanded by Pakistan’s skipper, Babar Azam himself, who was looking to improve his numbers in the Test format.
Simon Doull openly called on air "Does Babar ask for such flat tracks to improve his stats? "👀#BabarAzam𓃵 #PAKvNZ #CricketTwitter #TestCricket #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/NY5FELHvOq
— Sehwan Sharif (@sehwansharif3) January 5, 2023
“Where does that directive come from? Does that come from Babar who wants to bat on a road and improve his own stats?” Doull questioned. “Does it come from above him?” The co-commentator chimed in.
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Pakistan batting coach Mohammad Yousuf recently tried to explain the conditions by saying that the country did not have the soil to make turning tracks. Suggestions have come from Simon Doull as well that the PCB and the team need to be better communicated to produce Test matches that were entertaining to the audience.
As things stand, New Zealand looks comfortable in their second innings and has amassed 119 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 40 overs.
