"Bowlers Graveyard": England cribs as Pakistan scripts a fine start in the first home Test

Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for Pakistan in the home Test series against Bangladesh. A touring Bangladesh registered their first win over Pakistan and went on to complete a 2-0 whitewash over the hosts. However, having hit such a low point, the only way left for Pakistan was to work their way back up. Pakistan seems to be doing just that against England. On the opening day of the England vs Pakistan series, captain Shan Masood smashed 151 runs, providing the perfect start for his team. Supporting him well from the other end, opening batter Abdullah Shafique also scored a century on Day 1 against the visitors in Multan.

Former England cricketers slam the Multan track as Pakistan starts well with the bat in the first Test

As is often the case, an Asian team piling up runs against England in the sub-continent hasn’t gone down well with the English. Former cricketers back in England have already begun their familiar complaints about the pitch and playing conditions in the sub-continent. England is playing this first Test under the captaincy of Ollie Pope, as Ben Stokes continues to recover from his hamstring injury. Pakistan opted to bat first after winning the toss in the opening match of the three-match Test series at Multan.

While Pakistan lost opener Saim Ayub early in the first session to an attack by Gus Atkinson, the home team recovered well as the day progressed. Coming in at number three, Shan Masood brought a positive approach as he forged a remarkable 253-run partnership with Abdullah Shafique. This second-wicket partnership saw both Masood and Shafique reach their respective fifth centuries in red-ball cricket.

England finally found their second wicket late in the day when spinner Jack Leach dismissed Masood for 151 off 177 balls. Babar Azam, however, continued his poor run of form, falling to an lbw by pacer Chris Woakes. It has now been nearly two years since Babar last hit a half-century in Test cricket. Despite Azam’s setback, the first day was largely successful for the home side.

However, the expected chatter from a frustrated English side has already made its way into the headlines. It has become somewhat of a tradition for the English cricket fraternity to criticize the pitch whenever an Asian team scores heavily against them at home. Notably, England has yet to feature in any of the World Test Championship (WTC) finals, despite the ICC event being hosted in England every season. This time, former English players Kevin Pietersen and Michael Vaughan have voiced their dissatisfaction with the Multan track.

“The wicket in Multan – a bowlers’ GRAVEYARD!” Pietersen wrote on social media.
“Looks like a road in Multan… Great toss to have won… Also, nice to see @shani_official batting in what looks like Padel shoes… #PAKvsENG,” Vaughan tweeted.

This is not the first time Pakistan has faced accusations of preparing batting-friendly tracks for their home Test series. The term “road” has often been used to describe Pakistan’s pitches for red-ball cricket. However, regardless of the complaints, England will now have to play on the same track for the remainder of the match. Currently seated fourth in the WTC standings, England will need a miracle to secure a place in the WTC 2025 final, a dream that currently seems out of reach.