PAK vs WI, 2nd Test: Aaqib Javed defends spin-friendly pitches in Pakistan

Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed has defended their approach of preparing pin-friendly pitches in Pakistan.

Spin trio Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Abrar Ahmed claimed all 20 wickets in Pakistan’s 127-run victory in the first test at Multan, which also hosts the second Test starting Saturday.

“I’ve been hearing a lot, and people are commenting on where our Test cricket is heading,” said Aqib told reporters in the press conference.

Advertisement

“If we had taken these decisions earlier, then we would have been in the race for the World Test Championship final.”

Pakistan is No. 8 just ahead of last-place West Indies in the WTC standings with Australia and South Africa already into this June’s final at Lord’s.

“The rule of test cricket is to win at home. If you win at home and you win 2-3 tests away, you become a strong candidate for the final.”

Aaqib Javed also cited the example of South Africa, where they lost 0-2 on seaming surfaces.

Advertisement

“We played in South Africa and didn’t field a spinner there due to the conditions. Similarly, pitches in Australia and England favor pace bowlers,” he said.

“Every country prepares pitches according to their advantage to win matches. I don’t understand the problem with spin-friendly wickets.

“If pace bowlers take wickets, people say cricket is progressing, but if spinners take wickets, they say cricket is going backwards. I don’t understand this.”

Pakistan lost 2-0 to Bangladesh at home and then trailed 1-0 against England before Javed took over the pitch preparations, drying out the 22-yard pitches in Multan and Rawalpindi with the help of industrial-sized fans and patio heaters.

Advertisement

The engineered pitches favored the home spinners as Pakistan recorded a 2-1 series win against England and followed it with another convincing win against the West Indies.

“We think we can prepare these pitches in every center of Pakistan, and it should be as difficult to beat Pakistan here as it is to beat Australia or South Africa away,” Javed said. “People should know if they’re going to Pakistan, they will have to do something extraordinary to beat Pakistan.”

Click here to read article