“Need to use home advantage” – Naseem Shah unhappy with Rawalpindi’s toothless surface used for PAK vs BAN 1st Test

Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah shared his disappointment with Rawalpindi’s docile track which has been used for the opening Test match against Bangladesh. The hosts declared after posting 448-6 on the board after centuries from Saud Shakeel and Mohammed Rizwan.

However, the visitors posted a gargantuan score of 565 runs, to take a 117-run lead after Mushfiqur Rahim scored a brilliant knock of 191 runs. The pitch is as flat as a road and there isn’t anything for the fast bowlers.

Naseem Shah said in the press conference after Day four, “I’m playing a Test after more than a year and took me time to find my rhythm. The kind of weather we have right now, it’s extremely hot, and we didn’t get the kind of help from the surface as a bowling unit as we expected.”

“If we’re incapable of making the sort of pitches that help fast bowlers, then we should look at whether we can produce spin wickets. However you do it, you need to use home advantage.”

The youngster added that red ball cricket must be kept competitive and entertaining and such wickets aren’t good for the game.

“People come to enjoy Test cricket in this heat, so you need to entertain them. What shouldn’t happen is you’re on the field at home and thinking this is hard work. The more you keep cricket entertaining, the better. It’s something we need to seriously think about.”

Shah was expecting a surface which would aid the Pakistan fast bowlers as they have a potent pace battery.

“We believed the fast bowlers would get plenty of help here. But what we were expecting didn’t exactly happen. With four fast bowlers, your mindset is to take wickets with the quick balls.”

“However, I don’t think it’ll spin either, because there’s grass on the pitch. But the pitch is very dry underneath, and the ball isn’t getting much help off the grass because of that, even if it appears like it might off the surface.”

At lunch break on the final day, Pakistan were 108-6, still trailing by nine runs.