PAK vs AUS | Mark Waugh lambasts the quality of pitches in ongoing series

Former Australian cricketer-turned pundit Mark Waugh has lambasted the nature of pitches dished out by the PCB in the ongoing Test series against Australia.

The much-anticipated three-match rubber has proved to be a damp squib barring the last day of the Karachi Test thanks to slow and turgid tracks in the first couple of games.

While the pitches have been flat, they have also been extremely slow, making both run-scoring and wicket-taking an extremely difficult proposition.

Over 1100 runs were scored at the cost of just 14 wickets in the first game in Rawalpindi. The second game also proved to be a high-scoring one barring the first-innings collapse from Pakistan courtesy of sensational reverse-swing bowling.

Lack of pace in the pitches has taken the short-pitch factor out of the equation, which Waugh believes is a prerequisite for good Test match viewing.

Terming the pitches ‘ordinary’ during a discussion on Fox Cricket, Junior Waugh said, ‘’The pitches are pretty ordinary, I don't like pitches where quick bowlers can't bowl short stuff, and this has been the theme of the whole series. dozen of bouncers in three Test matches, that [bouncer] intimidation is a big part of Test cricket,"

"We will get reverse swing and spin later, but it is not good for cricket. I'd like to see bounce and pace in these pitches," Waugh added.

Former Australian stumper Brad Haddin also concurred with Waugh’s views. Haddin further opined that preparing such tracks is detrimental to the development of someone like Shaheen Afridi.

They are not result pitches as seen in the first two [Tests], so it makes it unattractive to watch. It has affected the bowlers like Afridi, one of their strengths is fast bowling," Haddin stated.

Haddin signed off by asserting that result-oriented pitches, which brings bowlers from both sides in the game, is at the heart of producing ‘attractive’ Test cricket.

"Make it low but put some grass on it. Let the fast bowlers challenge both sides of the bat." We need to get better pitches to see attractive cricket," Haddin concluded.

At the time of writing this news, Pakistan have jotted down 192 runs for the loss of 2 wickets. Skipper Babar Azam has joined hands with Azhar Ali and the hosts still trail by 199 runs.