Pakistan are set to use the same pitch twice in a row in Multan as they look to respond to their innings defeat against England. Industrial-sized fans were set up at either end of the pitch as both teams held optional training sessions on Sunday after it was heavily watered by groundstaff in the aftermath of the first Test.

Jason Gillespie and Shan Masood, Pakistan’s coach and captain, had a look at the pitch on Sunday morning, before Gillespie had a lengthy conversation with Tony Hemming, the PCB’s Australian head curator. The bowlers’ footmarks from the first Test looked dry and cracked, and were further dried by the fans and the harsh sun.

The decision to play the second Test on the same strip may empower England to pick Ben Stokes, with spin likely to play a bigger role. Stokes has ramped up his bowling workloads over the past week and bowled at full pace in the nets on Sunday morning, suggesting he should be fit to return and could play the role of a third seamer if required.
England were braced for “result wickets” after taking a 1-0 lead with two Tests to play, and are anticipating a lower-scoring match when the second Test starts on Tuesday. 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.

There were some signs of variable bounce by the final day of the Test as England wrapped up their win, but Chris Woakes said it had offered “bugger all” for bowlers. Kevin Pietersen, the former England captain, described it as a “bowlers’ graveyard” on X/Twitter, and suggested that Pakistan should re-use it for the second Test.

The second Test was initially scheduled for Karachi, but was moved to Multan at late notice due to ongoing renovations at the National Stadium. The PCB have pledged to give it a “major facelift” ahead of the Champions Trophy next year, and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium was unavailable for the England series for the same reason.

Pakistan’s move is unusual, not least because it is rare for the same venue to stage consecutive Tests. But ICC’s pitch regulations only require the “best possible pitch and outfield conditions” with no stipulations that the surface must be fresh or unused, and after 11 consecutive home Tests without a win, Pakistan may feel the need to try something different.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR