Pakistan High Performance Coach Tim Nielsen addressed a press conference after day 4 of the 1st Test between England and Pakistan:
"I think you've probably seen over the three Test matches that we've had some really positive moments. We batted very well in the first Test against Bangladesh. We batted very well in the first innings here against Bangladesh. We had them 6 for 26 at one stage in the first innings. Unfortunately, we just haven't been able to play our best cricket for long enough over the five days. That is the challenge of Test match cricket. The team that can play the most consistent and efficient cricket for five days is usually the one that has the best chance of winning. We've made mistakes either with the bat, the ball, or in the field at times in all three games that have ended up being crucial, and in the end, we haven't been able to recover from those positions."
"I think everyone's pretty clear that our best cricket is competitive cricket, but there is quite a big gap between our best cricket and the rest of our cricket, and we need to close that gap so that we're playing closer to our best for longer periods."
"I think we probably thought, with the forecast heat, that the wicket might have deteriorated quicker. It's held together pretty well, hasn't it, over the four days so far? Even this evening with the new ball, the hard new ball hit the surface hard, and there was some movement. A couple of deliveries didn’t bounce, and a couple bounced a bit more. But overall, I think it's been pretty consistent."
"So, I would suggest we would have liked a surface that maybe offered a bit more deterioration so both the spinners and fast bowlers had more of a chance. But once again, we made 550 runs, and then we couldn’t bowl the opposition out for less than 800. They played so well. You know, they were too good for us today. So, while the pitch is important, we just need to play better on whatever surface we are presented with."
