RAWALPINDI: Members of the national selection committee Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali are camping in Rawalpindi to oversee the preparation of the pitch for Pakistan’s third and final Test against England, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported on Monday.

The playing surface is being prepared to support spinners, with industrial-sized fans placed on both ends to dry out the maximum amount of moisture at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The strategy seems to have qualified as Pakistan’s formula of winning Test matches following their first victory at home in nearly four years, when they beat England by 152 runs in the second match in Multan last week, which saw spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali take all 20 wickets.

“The ground staff has been instructed to prepare a pitch that offers plenty of assistance to the spinners as Pakistan wants to attack England again with slow bowlers,” PTI quoted a source close to the selectors as saying.

The series is keenly poised with Ben Stokes’ England winning the opening Test by an innings and 47 runs, before the hosts bounced back.

The source said that on the instructions of the selectors, the ground staff was using several methods to prepare a dry, spinning track.

“They (ground staff) are using large fans, heaters and black cloth to soak the moisture in the surface and keep it as dry as possible so that the cracks open up quickly under the sun in the match,” he said.

The England team is yet to see the pitch as they opted for a rest day after reaching Islamabad on Sunday but the Pakistan players had a nets session.

“Aaqib and Dar, who have vast experience of playing and seeing home pitches, are adamant that Pakistan should again press on the home advantage,” the source added.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood and head coach, Jason Gillispie are also in the loop but not as directly involved in overseeing the preparation of the pitch as the selectors, said the PTI report.

Pakistan are desperate to win the series in Rawalpindi, which was the very venue where they registered their last series victory when they beat South Africa in January 2021.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2024