Shan Masood's Pakistan To Re-Use Same Pitch For 2nd Test In Multan

Multan Pitch- (Source: @MufaddalVohra/X.com)Multan Pitch- (Source: @MufaddalVohra/X.com)

Pakistan will lock horns against England on October 15 at the Multan Cricket Stadium. It will be the second straight match at this stadium as the venue was relocated to Multan from Karachi because of the ongoing renovation at the National Stadium. 

In the first Test match at Multan, the pitch was heavily criticised for its flat nature. Several cricket pundits and fans labelled the strip as an expressway and bowlers' graveyard. As expected, the runs were scored aplenty, and the match looked like a draw had England bowlers not pulled a stellar show in the last innings. 

Pakistan To Use Same Pitch For 2nd Test

In the latest events, Cricinfo reported that Pakistan are set to re-use the same pitch prepared for the first Test that turned out to be a run-fest. According to the report, the nature of the track is said to be different as it was heavily wattered, and efforts are made to make it a spin-friendly pitch. 

Notably, Jason Gillespie and Shan Masood had a lengthy conversation with Tony Hemming, the PCB's Australian head curator. They overlooked the preparations as the hosts are looking to redeem their defeat in the first Test. 

England's Run-Fest In The First Test

In the first match, Pakistan posted 556 runs on the board. In reply, England went all guns blazing and posted 823 runs on the board. The Shan Masood-led side tumbled for just 220 runs in the second innings. The visitors won by an innings and 47 runs. 

The pitch offered nothing for bowlers in the first Test, with 1,599 runs scored for the loss of 26 wickets - an average of 61.5 runs per wicket. It is worth noting that for the upcoming match, there are reports that Pakistan are looking to drop out-of-form Babar Azam. On the other hand, England's regular skipper Ben Stokes is likely to return to the playing XI and lead his side.