Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan's assistant coach, admitted that the Rawalpindi pitch for the 1st Test against Bangladesh was something that the team had not expected.
For the first time in 28 years, Pakistan fielded an all-seam attack in a Test match. The team management omitted all available spinners in the fray, to select an all-pace bowling attack for the first Test.
In an attempt to climb up the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 table, the PCB had expected to make the most out of the Test series against a relatively lower-quality side in Bangladesh. To maximise their chances of winning, the hosts bet on their strength, i.e. pace bowling.
However, the pitch at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was unexpected, with batsmen scoring runs quite effortlessly in the first three days of the game so far. Over 750 runs were scored in the first three days, with pacers getting minimal help from the pitch.
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What did Azhar Mahmood say about Rawalpindi wicket in the 1st Test match?
Not everything went as per plan for Gary Kirsten's men. His deputy, former Pakistan international Azhar Mahmood, spoke to the media and opened up on the decision to play an all-pace bowling attack.
He blamed the sunshine for drying the pitch before the start of the first Test. The 49-year-old refused to admit that it was the team's and coach's mistake in analysing the pitch. He rather asserted that the pitch did not behave the way Pakistan thought.
The reason we didn't play a spinner was there was grass on the pitch and we thought it would favour the seamers. We were hoping for that. But the three hours the pitch was sunned before the game started on the first day may have made a difference. The wicket dried out; we didn't think it would dry out so quickly, and that made it play differently," Mahmood explained.
Anyone who looked at the wicket would have thought it would be a seaming track. We can't do anything about the fact it didn't behave that way We didn't make a mistake reading the pitch, it just didn't play like we thought it should.
The Pakistan assistant coach admitted that the hosts did not prefer a flat wicket, but one that would bounce, or at least turn. The flat wicket has helped the ball to get onto the bat with ease, making it difficult for the bowlers to pick wickets. He also assured that the pitch in the second Test would generate pace and bounce off the surface.
"The combination we made required a pitch with pace and bounce, and for that wicket to play like we expected. But that didn't happen. When the wicket has pace and bounce or sharp spin, there's a greater chance of the batters making mistakes. When the pitch is slow, the batters have extra time," the former Pakistan international explained.
"If you look at our team selection, you can see we didn't want a flat wicket. We wanted a good one that supports everyone, the fast bowlers and spinners and to produce a pitch that makes people want to tune in. We will try to make sure the second one has seam and bounce and a bit of pace in it," Mahmood concluded.
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How many runs did Pakistan and Bangladesh score in 1st Test?
| Innings | Pakistan | Bangladesh |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Innings | 448/6 | 316/5 |
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