Babar Azam, the captain, acknowledged that he was dissatisfied with the pitch because he didn’t get the kind of wicket he desired during the game. Since the opening day of the first Test between Pakistan and England, the Rawalpindi pitch has received a lot of criticism. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was heavily criticized for how they prepared the pitch after England scored over 500 runs on the first day alone of the match. Even Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam expressed dissatisfaction with the pitch after the first game of the series ended in defeat because he didn’t receive the kind of wicket he desired. All 5 days, both teams’ bats scored freely as the Rawalpindi pitch continued to provide little to no assistance to bowlers.
“Yes my input was there in the preparation of the pitch and we made it clear what we wanted but we didn’t get that because of the weather or whatever reason. But we wanted a track with some turn for the spinners,” Babar told a post-match conference on Monday. “We anticipated they’d keep playing against us like that. When your bowlers are not hitting the appropriate spots and runs are being scored on both sides of the wicket, I believe it becomes challenging for a captain. However, they deserve praise for the way they batted in both innings, he said.
“Coming back after the opposition scores 500 on the first day is never easy, but we were expecting they would continue to play like that against us. I think it becomes difficult for a captain when your bowlers are not hitting the right areas and runs are being scored on both sides of the wicket. But full credit to them the way they batted in both innings,” he said.
“It is never easy to come back after the opposition scores 500 on the first day but I thought we batted well and came close to their total but in the second innings our batters didn’t live up to the responsibility,” he said. In the end, the missed chance to win the game must have disappointed the Pakistani captain. “I thought we were very much in the match till after lunch today to win the match unfortunately we lost back-to-back wickets and that didn’t help. But Anderson and Robinson bowled outstandingly well,” he said.
