Rawalpindi pitch has been gaining a lot of attention after it failed to offer assistance to bowlers, being one-sided for the batters only. Known traditionally for its bouncy nature, the city itself has produced many fast bowlers. However, not being helpful for the fast bowlers lately, it has become a matter of debate for the experts.
Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi is one of them to talk about how Rawalpindi pitch is turning out during Pakistan vs England’s first Test. He also lambasted PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja’s remarks for making cowardly statements about the country’s pitch.
Notably, Raja said that he was shocked to see the track and claimed that building international-level pitches in Pakistan might need a few years. Afridi, who is left unimpressed by Raja’s statements, says he was left in shock to see how Raja made such statements in a cowardly tone.
“The way Ramiz was speaking, I mean, I was shocked to listen to him saying that we cannot make tracks like these. International matches have been going on in Pakistan for such a long time, but then we say stuff like these. Ramiz said that he wanted a turning track I feel in this weather it would have been something big,”
Defining the traditional nature of Rawalpindi pitch, Afridi said he has never seen the track turning that flat.
“Rawalpindi’s track has always been for the fast bowlers with seam and bounce. Why did they even change it? We now fear losing this Test, and we want to win but don’t know the technique. If we are talking about the Rawalpindi pitch, I have never seen a track like this. I have seen a lot of domestic games as well there, but I have never seen a pitch like this which is so flat,”
He concluded by saying,
“It reminded me of Faisalabad or Sialkot track. The four big venues – Multan, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi – I have seen fast bowlers enjoy those tracks because of the bounce. In fact, there was a time when we used to see a lot many fast bowlers coming from Rawalpindi,”
