Daily Times

Any match’s outcome is largely determined by the cricket pitch. The spectators’ joy and enthusiasm will be overshadowed by boredom if the pitch is dead and slow since it lowers the game’s pace. On the other side, a quick and bouncy surface would encourage the crowd to applaud and enjoy the action-packed game.

But it is undeniable that cricket grounds in the subcontinent are far slower and filthier than those in Australia and New Zealand. The batsmen of Pakistan, who are used to playing on slow pitches at home, occasionally find it difficult to adjust to quick surfaces abroad.

After receiving criticism for the pitch at Rawalpindi and Karachi earlier this year during the series against Australia, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja brought in Australian specialist Damien Hough, who offered removable drop-in pitches as a remedy.

“I believe our only way out is for drop-in pitches,” Raja explained. However, the situation is similar, as the Pindi pitch in the ongoing Test series against England provided no assistance to the bowlers. England amassed a phenomenal 657 in just 101 overs in the first innings, but Pakistan is also cruising along without losing a wicket. After England scored runs on a lifeless surface in Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s senior cricket administrator claimed that the country’s pitches belonged in “the dark ages.”

However, in Raja ‘s case, those remarks cannot be accepted so casually.

The notion that Pakistan cannot create quality pitches is not only alarmist, but also a touch dishonest given that, as the ICC ratings indicate, Test pitches have only been this awful since Raja became chairman. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to create such a lifeless surface has been the subject of ongoing controversy. The solution is straightforward: PCB is playing cricket with a strong defensive mentality. In other words, their objective is to avoid losing the game, not to win it at home. The biggest concern for Pakistani cricket is their defensive mentality, which prioritizes safety above going all-out in the pursuit of victory. Defensive mentality is also evident in Pakistan’s field placements during the first Test.

Babar Azam is also being investigated for this. We haven’t had an attacking-minded, combative Test skipper like Mushtaq Muhammad in our team for a long time. Pakistan provided the world a new blueprint for Test cricket under Mushtaq Muhammad, with a prominent example being the Karachi Test in 1978, when we were already leading the series 1-0 and needed 170 odd in 26 overs to make it 2-0. If it had been Babar’s current team, they would have taken 1-0 rather than 2-0. Bedi and his colleagues were caught off guard. On a lifeless pitch, he once challenged his team to score 500+ in 100 overs against Kiwiz (in order to save time to take 20 wickets), and his team scored 550+ in 100 odd overs. No surprise he did so well on Australian tours, and his trained squad could have even won the 1979 Cricket World Cup under Asif Iqbal. Currently, it appears that Babar is fine with a player scoring 50-60 runs with a strike rate of 30-40.

I’m not sure if this is the best strategy. Babar isn’t even attempting to shuffle or adjust the batting order, as outstanding captains frequently do when the situation calls for it. It is not about this test series; Babar is young and will be test captain for many years; if he is content with an ultra-defensive strategy, Pakistan will never be dominant at home. Cricket has advanced, but we are still trapped in the 1960s.

The lifeless pitch did not come about by itself. This cannot happen unless the Pakistan Cricket Board makes a move. But it’s not just the pitch that has cost us matches; it’s also the defensive attitude that we’ve been in for the previous several years, which is one of the main reasons we’re still years away from producing a wonderful five-day pitch. Mind game is everything in today’s world, and teams with a strong and brave mindset usually win. However, we are still seeking for a defensive mindset.

Although batters appreciate this style of pitch, not everyone else does! Bowlers would want to see a different surface that gives them a better chance of getting wickets, and most spectators would certainly agree! Cricket, in my opinion, is at its best when there is a high degree of competition between bat and ball. The pitch should be decent for batting, but not so good that it eliminates the bowling threat. Finding a happy medium is essential. This results in far more entertaining games, rather than simply seeing each team put up enormous tallies and the game ending in a draw. It is worth noting that a pitch may be excellent for batting in the opening innings of a test, but it may become extremely tough to bat on by the fourth innings.

Over the course of a five-day test match, the pitches absorb a lot of abuse from the sun and continuous heat, as well as the bowlers’ boots and the ball being pounded into the pitch by the fast bowlers. This can open up fractures, generate big dry areas known as ‘rough’, and can also contribute to dents appearing in the surface of the pitch. All of these factors can make a once docile pitch extremely difficult to bat on as the game progresses, resulting in unpredictable bounce.

The Pakistan cricket team’s players are trained in such a way that they have developed a defensive mindset. This is a major issue in the squad that affects not only the players but also the management.

The reason for this could be public condemnation. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, anyone can say anything on social media. There are no such limits. As a result, both the team management and the players are concerned that if they do not perform well, they would lose their respect.

Pakistan cricket is currently seeking to just exist, and this has not changed. There was no haste, no hostility, no strike rotation, and some very kind dismissals.

The arranging of drab surfaces, defensive techniques, and brutally bad batting demonstrates the fear component. It is unforgivable to score 250 after 110 overs. I understand why we grinded on slow UAE fields, but playing like this at home is unacceptable. The main issue is one of mindset. Our cricketers play the modern game while maintaining the traditional approach of settling in and keeping wickets. At best, a defensive mindset can help you avoid defeat. To win, you must take chances and expose yourself. “Because the mind can only handle one thought at a time, all thoughts of losing should be removed from the mind. Fear of defeat motivates a negative and defensive tactic.”