Pitch uncertainty looms as Pakistan gambles on spin trio for final test

IMAGE: England players celebrate the fall of a Pakistan wicket during the second test match. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro / Reuters

Have England pulled an ace by playing mind games with Pakistan and pushing them into fielding three spinners on a pitch which could end up not being a slow bowlers paradise at the Rawalpindi cricket stadium?

With the three-match Test series poised at 1-1 and the decisive third match, beginning here from Thursday, both the teams seemed to be unclear about the pitch's nature.

“It is definitely not going to spin from day one like we say when they used the same first Test pitch for the second Test in Multan,” a senior ground staff at the Pindi stadium said on condition of anonymity.

“Pakistan would have been better off playing with two proper pace bowlers. England have the advantage of having two proper pacers (Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson) but Pakistan will have to rely on just Aamer Jamal,” he offered.

The staff said the pitch could assist the spinners, but during the last two days.

“Before that it will be good for batting and pacers will get some help and reverse swing,” he said.

He also confirmed that selectors Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar and Azhar Ali were at the ground every day supervising the preparation of the pitch with the team captain and coach uncertain about its behaviour.

England gave the impression that it believed the pitch would be a turner by announcing their playing eleven on Monday and added leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed in addition to Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach.

But the England think tank appears confident that Stokes and Atkinson could play key roles with the ball if they have to bowl first.

Ahsan Arian, an experienced curator who has prepared Test and international pitches, said there would be no comparison between the second Test pitch in Multan and the one at Pindi.

“The Multan pitch was used again after the first Test and it was bound to break up but Pindi will be different,” said Arian.

Pakistan have lost the last three Test matches at the Rawalpindi stadium, as they were beaten by Bangladesh in their last series twice at this venue.

England beat them here in October 2022, and Pakistan's last Test win in Pindi came in February 2021 against South Africa.