Basit Ali and Tony Hemming. (Source – Twitter/X)
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali lashed out at Pakistan’s pitch curator Tony Hemming by claiming that the Australian doesn’t know how to “prepare for a pitch” ahead of the second Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan, which began on Tuesday, October 15.
The first Test in the three-match series between Pakistan and England was also played at the Multan Cricket Stadium last week. There was hardly anything on the surface for the bowlers as batters ruled the roost. Eventually, England won by an innings and 47 runs, registering one of their most memorable results on Asian soil.
One of the most noticeable things about the track was the lack of assistance it provided to the spinners. England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir managed to bag just one wicket across both innings after bowling 38 overs. Experienced Jack Leach ended up with seven wickets in his kitty but he had to toil hard for them.
Also Read: ‘There’s stuff we can’t control’ – Shan Masood on Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi getting dropped for second Test versus England
Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed bowled 35 overs, conceded 174 runs at an economy of 4.97 and went wicketless before being treated in the hospital after being taken ill. Part-timer Saim Ayub and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha contributed with the ball, but it came at the cost of leaking runs heavily.
Basit claimed that despite his experience, Hemming doesn’t know how to prepare pitches. The 53-year-old gave the example of India, lauding them for their ability to prepare pitches according to their liking.
“We thought in the first Test match that the ball would spin on the second day. But it didn’t happen even on the fifth day. The curator is from Australia, and he has been a part of the ICC as well. But he doesn’t know how to prepare a pitch,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.
“Now players will play on the same pitch, hoping that the ball will spin. What is the point of appointing a curator who doesn’t know how to make a pitch? It is a very important question. The whole world is making fun of us. Look at India. The pitch is prepared the way they want to,” he added.
Pakistan look good in second Test after turbulent start
After Shan Masood won the toss and opted to bat first, Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub gave the hosts a sedate start. However, Shafique and Masood were dismissed by Jack Leach before the 10th over of the innings.
Also Read: Fakhar Zaman lands in big trouble after batter compares Babar Azam’s situation to that of Virat Kohli’s
However, debutant Kamran Ghulam joined Ayub in the middle and the duo has helped Pakistan forge a comeback by resurrecting the innings. Both players got to their half-centuries in the second session on Day 1. However, Ayub gave a straightforward catch to Stokes who was stationed close to the non-striker off Potts’ bowling. Pakistan are 173/3 at Tea.