More variety imo, there’s dead wickets, flat wickets, spinning tracks and even some swinging tracks in the northern parts. Yeah our domestic pitches haven’t been up to standard we all know that, however the variety of the pitches is why I put Pakistan pitches higher.
Anyways at the end of the day it’s up to each individual’s preference, what would your ranking be?
Bro, I have written enough of PAK wickets - if I start again, “fans” will get after me; particularly after not congratulating the PAK team for this highly successful & credible English tour, where only a bad session & rain prevented PAK from winning it 3-0.
Coming to the topic - PAK wickets are not only by far worst in Test world, it includes some associates as well. And, to an extent I actually would say I am inclined to arrange Test in UAE than PAK, because wickets are equally dross, but UAE at least allows 450 overs to be bowled, therefore most Test will end in direct results. One of the main reason for resurgence of Indian cricket is the paradise shift of Indian tracks - they play Test cricket on turners (that’s also changing - last NZ, BD series of was played on wickets that will put even some English wickets in shame), because that’s their unique advantage, but the wickets for domestic games are fantastic.
No, there is absolutely no variety in PAK wickets - similar low, dead slow tracks built on soft base which dies with time, means slows down further and gets lower with time. Survival is not a big deal because of the slow & lowness of the track, basically you can dead bat block for few hours; but man, playing horizontal bat shots are near impossible there & if you try any shot on back foot.... players like Misbah, Fawad, Azhar, Usman (Sallauddin), Asad, Farhat.... roost in PAK domestics for a reason.
For pacers, basically, there is only two moods of dismissal and that has killed the wicket taking art from PAK pace attack - what Shaheen or Naseem did in England in swing friendly condition with new ball should give you a clue. In last few years, worst nightmare for PAK pacers has been the new ball - they have learned every other thing but can’t put six balls on channel with upright seem - that’s the outcome of bowling on absolute rubbish where if you pitch it on attacking length, means you are giving batsmen the only chance to score some runs planting front foot & pushing through the line with low back lift.
The second major bowling issue is, the clay content is not in proper mix, there is too thick top layer built on soft base .... result is even on day 5 top surface doesn’t break for spinners. It does turn, but dead slow and below ankle - result, darters rule there. It’s the worst wicket for classical spinner and the adverse effect is the foot work of PAK players against spin - even Babar was struggling at times against Bess. Imagine these are the successors of Zaheer Abbas!!!!!!
The variety you are saying is from climate, not wicket. PAK being a country stressed north south by over 1000 miles either side of Tropic of Cancer, provides a variety of climate for wickets - from the breezy sea shore of Karachi, to the hot humid mid county and the hilly north; add to that the difference of cricket seasons temperature, rain/dew fall in different parts of county brings diversity- BUT the wickets are absolutely identical because the curators are from same school (if we take PCB’s ground committee a school).
Long back, Gen. Zia brought a pro guy to fix the wickets and for few years that time (2001-2-3) there were some very good wickets and that PAK-IND series of 2002 was a treat to watch, otherwise PAK wickets are one of the main reasons for de-popularisation of Test cricket. I heard Aga Zahid is finally kicked out - only for that one, I would have extended WK‘s contract!!!!! Now, he needs to bring couple of pros from UK to teach some basics of wicket making for Test/FC cricket.
