The pitches used in the Multan and Rawalpindi during the recently concluded Test series between Pakistan and England have been rated “satisfactory” by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday.
The first Test was played on a flat pitch in Multan, which saw Pakistan post 556 runs in the first innings, however, England racked up a humongous total of 823/7d, courtesy of Harry Brook’s triple century and Joe Root’s double-century.
Pakistan were bundled for 220 in the second innings, succumbing to an innings and 47 runs defeat.
The under-fire hosts needed a miracle to fight for the series glory and they made four massive changes to their squad for the remaining two Tests, which marked the ouster of big names like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.
Consistent domestic performer Kamran Ghulam replaced Babar, while the dynamic spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali came in as Shaheen and Naseem’s replacement.
The hosts not only reshuffled their squad but also revamped their pitch preparation methods for the remaining two matches.
The newly formed selection committee, featuring Azhar Ali, Aleem Dar and Aqib Javed, instructed the groundsmen to make dry pitches to support spin bowlers in the remaining.
For the second Test in Multan, the hosts reused the first Test’s pitch, which underwent a rigorous drying process, utilizing massive industrial fans that whirled at full force, all aimed at crafting a surface that would favour spin bowlers.
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Meanwhile, for the third Test in Rawalpindi, where the pitch is traditionally flat, the hosts used a similar strategy of using large fans and heaters, accompanied by windbreaks to dry the pitch.
The changes worked wonders as Pakistan recovered from 0-1 down to beat England 2-1 and seal their first Test series victory at home since 2021.
The spin duo of Sajid and Noman dismantled England in the last two Tests and picked up 39 out of their 40 wickets, while another late entrant Zahid Mahmood bagged the solitary wicket.
The ICC conducted a thorough evaluation of the pitches used in the series between Pakistan and England, resulting in each venue receiving a rating of “satisfactory.”
This rating represents the lowest acceptable standard that does not incur a penalty, indicating that while the pitches may not have been ideal, they were deemed adequate for play.
The ICC employs a comprehensive four-tier rating system to assess pitch quality, which includes the categories of very good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, and unfit.
In this system, a pitch marked as unsatisfactory is assigned a demerit point, while a score of unfit incurs a more severe penalty of three demerit points.
Venues that accumulate five or more demerit points within a rolling five-year timeframe face significant consequences: they are prohibited from hosting international cricket matches for a period of 12 months.
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