The pitch at Multan Cricket Stadium has been under scrutiny for its failure to provide balance between bat and ball on first two days. The first Test between England and Pakistan is turning out to be a high-scoring one as batters have dominated the proceedings. Former England captain Nasser Hussain is not happy with the batting-friendly conditions and feels that it is not a good advertisement for Test cricket.
"Test cricket cannot afford for this pitch to continue playing in the same way for all five days. It is incredibly flat and, for the future of the longer format, pitches need to do something. At the moment, it has done nothing for two days. No spin, no swing, no reverse swing. It is too batter-friendly and Test cricket needs an even contest between bat and ball," Nasser wrote in his column in the Daily Mail.
Multan pitch not good to attract big crowds to watch Test cricket
England bowlers toiled hard in the heat of Multan as Pakistan took 149 overs to score 556 runs. Three Pakistan batters -- opener Abdullah Shafique, captain Shan Masood and all-rounder Agha Salman -- scored centuries. This is the fourth instance of three Pakistan batters scoring hundred in an innings against England. Cricketer-turned-commentator Nasser pointed out that fans have not flocked to the stadium and a game like this won’t lead to bigger crowds either.
"You cannot afford 600 plays 500 plays 400, and then a draw. The crowds here in Multan are already sparse and, if it is like this for five days, soon nobody will come in," he added.
Nasser’s advice to England for Multan Test
On Day 2, opener Ben Duckett did not come out to bat as he got injured taking a catch at first slip. Skipper Ollie Pope opened the innings and got out for a two-ball duck to Naseem Shah. However, Zak Crawley and Joe Root stabilised the innings. Nasser said that England have their work cut out if they want to get a positive result out of the game as the pitch is still a batting paradise.
"There are still three sunny days ahead, which will hopefully have an impact on the surface. The pitch has got cracks in it and, while it has done nothing from those so far, it might deteriorate as the sun beats down," the 56-year-old said.
"You’ve got to put yourself in a position to pounce if those cracks widen and the surface starts to spin or produce some uneven bounce. England’s job is to get as close as possible to Pakistan’s total and make that third innings difficult for the opposition," he concluded.
