"New year; first Test of 2023; new lively surface at NSK": Shakil Shaikh

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">All changed in a wink! <br>New year; first Test of 2023; new lively surface at NSK; and new administration working to see exciting and result-producing Test cricket. <br>Go and win <a href="https://twitter.com/babarazam258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@babarazam258</a>-led Pakistan team!</p>— Shakil Shaikh (@shakilsh58) <a href="https://twitter.com/shakilsh58/status/1609776194467004417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Major]

) this tweet will come back to bite him.

 

[Rana]

Shakeel Shiekh is the Suge Knight of PCB

Can’t wait for Arsal Sheikh or whoever he is to return to FC

 

[Ahmed216]

No doubt it’s a good pitch. Good carry

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

New year, same old fools in the PCB.

 

[topspin]

New year, same old fools in the PCB.

There is more pace on this wicket though.

 

[Saj]

Let's see but it seems this surface has a bit more pace and bounce in it.

 

[shah_1]

A much better pitch

Well done Shaikh

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

There is more pace on this wicket though.

Let's see how it plays over the next few fays but 'lively' is a bit of exaggeration based on what we've seen so far. The two wickets that Naseem got were more a result of him bending his back then the pitch offering him any kind of major help.

 

[Bewal Express]

Can't see much of difference, just a tiny bit more grass.

 

[MenInG]

Let's see but it seems this surface has a bit more pace and bounce in it.

2 wickets for Naseem means something in there -

Hope Mir Hamza also gets something out of this pitch

But to say its lively is a bit off a stretch.

 

[MenInG]

Simon Doull not happy with Pakistan pitches:

“Let the ground staff do their job properly"

“The people above, the hierarchy, have just got to leave their noses out of it.”

“It offers nothing. There is no grass on it. There is no seam movement, and there is no carry"

“You are picking a guy like Mir Hamza who has a terrific first-class record. You pick guys who perform well at that level, but they come and bowl on this road. You can’t expect them to do the same job that they're doing at the first-class level if you're going to produce these types of surfaces.”

 

[Tabishbeigh]

I remember him making comments about babar asking for such pitches to better his averages . That’s the sort of question one should really be asking. Could well be true.

 

[Babeikh]

There was a bit more in the pitch on day 1 for sure - at the moment there is nothing in it really. That is the problem with making such statements as you end up looking foolish.

We just need to go back to the same formula that we had for the South Africa series. Those exact same pitches. If anyone tries to meddle, whether it is Babar or anyone they should be told well tough luck mate, this is the pitch you are getting.

Anyway this is the last test match in Pakistan until we play West Indies in February 2024.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Simon Doull not happy with Pakistan pitches:

“Let the ground staff do their job properly"

“The people above, the hierarchy, have just got to leave their noses out of it.”

“It offers nothing. There is no grass on it. There is no seam movement, and there is no carry"

“You are picking a guy like Mir Hamza who has a terrific first-class record. You pick guys who perform well at that level, but they come and bowl on this road. You can’t expect them to do the same job that they're doing at the first-class level if you're going to produce these types of surfaces.”

It speaks to how scared the management is of losing so they keep preparing these roads in the hopes opposition makes mistakes but its backfired big time. They keep trying to produce spinning wickets too and it's been a complete fail. It's clear the players, coaches & management don't even realize they are not a good team vs spin and their bowling strength is pace and not spinners. They have literally been trying to mimick UAE pitches so they could destroy England/Australia like Pakistan did back then but that also occurred due to MisYou being crazy good vs spin and having players like Hafeez who were just perfect for those conditions with the bat & ball.

At this point, I have lost all hope of Pakistan ever figuring out this pitch situation. It's been a problem for decades and will remain one until mentality changes from trying not to lose but rather aiming to win.

 

[MenInG]

Speaking in the press conference during the second Test match, Pakistan batting coach Mohammad Yousuf provided an explanation and said that the country did not have the soil to make turning tracks for SENA nations.

"I went to have a word about the wicket in Multan they told me that we do not have the soil to make turning wickets like India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They need 30 per cent clay soil, which they do not have. Even in the past, the wicket used to keep low and the odd ball used to turn, like it happened today. There is no way to predict how the wicket is going to behave. If we can take the lead, New Zealand will be under pressure," Yousuf said after the end of Day 1 in the second Test match against New Zealand.

"We have a young bowling side and you need an experienced unit for Test bowling," the former player further added.

"I think we should let the board know what kind of soil we want when we are hosting teams in the country," Yousuf said about a possible solution.

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...planation-for-flat-pitches-2317084-2023-01-04

 

[jnaveen1980]

Pakistan pitches were never helpful for bowlers apart from few exceptions. Just that Pakistan had bowlers that could take pitch out of the equation. Right now they don't have. Also batsmen these days are much more used to against high pace deliveries than the previous eras. It is a very rare sight high pace bowlers running through sides with pace in Tests. Swing is the most potent weapon in any era. No team is comfortable.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hope cricket lovers approve of our hectic efforts to make a sporting pitch for the second Test match in Karachi! What a great game it turned out to be!</p>— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) <a href="https://twitter.com/najamsethi/status/1611558393940152323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Babeikh]

Does Sethi seriously think this was a good pitch?

 

[Rana]

Does Sethi seriously think this was a good pitch?

Point scoring

It was a poor pitch

 

[boomboomcheema]

Does Sethi seriously think this was a good pitch?

It was better than most home pitches this year. Could have got a result if not for Bad Light.

 

[Babeikh]

Don't think it was any better than the pitches in the 2nd and 3rd tests against England

 

[Saj]

Wouldn't have rated it as lively.

In fact quite a few of the dismissals were down to ridiculously poor shot selection.

 

[Zaz]

If anything apart from the england pindi pitch its pretty similar to the rest of the pitches on offer this winter

Slow, low turn Not an ideal surface for pakistan or lively cricket