Former Pakistani Cricketer Slams Curator for Multan Pitch

Australian pitch curator Tony Hemming has drawn the ire of former International Basit Ali for the pitch used during the first test between Pakistan and England.

Basit did not hold back in his criticism aimed towards Hemming, claiming that the Australian does not know how to effectively prepare a suitable cricket pitch. His remarks come on the back of Pakistan’s historic defeat against England in the first Test in Multan on a surface which offered no support to the bowlers of either side.

He was quick to point out a patent issue that maybe Hemming’s unfamiliarity with Pakistani conditions is the reason he has been unable to proffer supporting tracks for Pakistani bowlers.

“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 has been a part of the ICC, yet he doesn’t know how to prepare a pitch,” Basit stated 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? This is a crucial question. The whole world is making fun of us. Look at India; the pitch is prepared the way they want it.”

The Multan surface drew criticism of the cricketing fraternity from all across the globe for its inability to support spin bowling, which was expected to play a significant role in the match for both teams.

England’s Shoaib Bashir managed to pick only one wicket throughout the match while the experienced Jack Leach relied more on his bowling prowess than on the pitch conditions. Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed endured a challenging outing, bowling 35 overs and conceding 174 runs without taking a wicket before departing the match due to illness. Meanwhile, Saim Ayub and Samlan Ali Agha had moments of success but also leaked runs for fun.

Tony Hemming will be hoping that Basit Ali does not have any room for complaint during the second test which is taking place on the same surface. With Pakistan fielding a spin-heavy squad for the second Test, there are hopes that the pitch will favour their spinners.

Pakistan (Playing XI): Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (capt), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood.

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Matt Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir