WATCH: PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja admits to purposely preparing docile track to deny Australia advantage

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja clearly stated that Pakistan didn’t prepare a bouncy wicket for the Rawalpindi Test to neutralize Australia’s strength. In the entire game, the Aussie bowlers picked up three wickets, one of which went to a pacer – Pat Cummins. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood toiled hard only to return wicketless from the opening Test.

The nature of the surface also drew criticism for the fans, who reckoned that a more sporting strip should have been dished out. Raja reckoned that the hosts tried to prepare a track going by their strength. But he also admitted that injuries to Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf testing COVID-19 positive didn’t help their cause.  

The team had limited resources unfortunately: Ramiz Raja

“I understand the fans’ frustration and it would have been great if there was a result in this Test match. But do remember that this is a three-Test series and there is a lot of cricket left to be played. We cannot make a fast or bouncy pitch for the heck of it and put the conditions in Australia’s lap. It is important that when we play at home, we play according to our strengths,” Raja said.

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“The team had limited resources unfortunately. Our opening bowling and batting combinations were disturbed and when that happens, you take chances accordingly. We also didn’t have a leg spinner so we had an under-sourced 15 going into this match. Australia is a powerhouse of the world and we respect their talent and we could not go into an experimental mode considering our strengths,” he added.

PCB Chairman reflects on the Rawalpindi Test and reiterates his plans on pitches for domestic and international matches in the country#PAKvAUS l #BoysReadyHain pic.twitter.com/OuD7wDvJw1

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 9, 2022

After the game, Cummins, who took over as Australia’s skipper before the 2021-22 Ashes, said that Pakistan tried to take the advantage away from the pacers in the Rawalpindi Test match. However, he seemed satisfied with the draw in the first game of the three-match series.

Previously, former skipper Steve Smith also said that the pitch in Rawalpindi was ‘dead and benign’. After both teams amassed over 400 runs in their first innings, Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique put on an unbeaten 252-run stand for the opening wicket.

The second Test is scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 12 at the National Stadium in Karachi. The third and final Test will start on March 21 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.