A lot has happened since Test cricket properly returned to Pakistan, bringing with it a wave of excitement and optimism. However, despite this positive resurgence, Pakistan’s fortunes in Test matches have headed in the opposite direction.

The team has been unable to find a single Test victory at home since their last triumph against South Africa in 2021. Since then, Pakistan has played 10 Test matches against four different opponents, but they have struggled to secure a win on home soil.

England is visiting Pakistan for the second time in two years, and it was during their previous tour that they whitewashed Pakistan in a three-match series in 2022. However, this time, Pakistan is also entering the series after a shocking defeat against Bangladesh — dubbed the “Banglawash” — which was both unexpected and unplanned. The loss has left fans disappointed, as they brace for the upcoming series against England.

Comparing this series to the previous one, when the Bazball practitioners first toured Pakistan, the circumstances are quite different. Back then, Pakistan’s premier fast bowlers, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, were unavailable, forcing the team to field a largely inexperienced bowling line-up.

As Pakistan starts a three-Test series against England in Multan from tomorrow, the ghosts of its unexpected whitewash against Bangladesh recently haunt it, as does the fact that it is still looking for its first win at home in three years…

During that series, we witnessed numerous debuts, with players such as leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood, fast bowler Mohammad Ali, and the pace express Haris Rauf making their Test debuts in the first Test in Rawalpindi.

In the next Test at Multan, mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed also made his debut. It was evident that a seasoned Test side such as England wouldn’t miss the opportunity to beat such an inexperienced Pakistani line-up.

However, this time round, Pakistan’s Test squad for the first match looks far more formidable. Their top bowlers — Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed — are fully fit and ready for action. Additionally, all-rounder Aamir Jamal, who debuted in Australia, has returned to the squad after being one of Pakistan’s best performers during the Australia tour. Mir Hamza, who impressed in the Australia and Bangladesh series, is also part of the squad for the first Test.

If we turn our attention to the England squad, they’ll be missing three of their premium bowlers, including the legendary James Anderson, who has retired, along with Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood. This time round, England has a relatively less-experienced bowling attack, and Pakistan may look to capitalise on that.

Despite these squad comparisons, Pakistan’s key concerns remain, starting with their long-standing issues with the pitches. For a while, flat pitches have been blamed for the bowlers’ inability to take 20 wickets and secure a win at home.

However, during the recent series against Bangladesh, Pakistan opted for green pitches in Rawalpindi for both Tests. Even then, the Pakistani team complained that the pitch wasn’t supportive of their bowlers. However, the Bangladeshi bowlers thrived, managing to bowl out Pakistan three times across the two matches and securing a 2-0 series victory.

This defeat not only highlighted Pakistan’s bowling deficiencies but also exposed significant batting struggles. Almost all of Pakistan’s experienced batters faltered, with Abdullah Shafique failing in all four innings. Captain Shan Masood, who is known for getting good starts, struggled to convert those starts into big scores, adding to the woes.

The most heated topic of discussion remains Babar Azam’s form. As Pakistan’s most dependable batter, Babar has been the backbone of the side. However, his recent struggles in Test matches have become a growing concern, as he has failed to score a 50 in his last 16 innings.

Despite his impressive performances in a recent domestic tournament, where he notched up good runs, including a century, questions remain about whether his form will translate into Test cricket, which is a different format altogether. All eyes will be on Babar Azam as he attempts to rediscover his touch in the Test series against England.

Another point of concern for Pakistan is the form of vice-captain Saud Shakeel, who scored a big hundred in the first Test against Bangladesh, but has shown a weakness against short-pitched deliveries recently. This has become a hot topic of discussion in cricketing circles, though it is worth noting that Saud has already faced plenty of short-pitched bowling, particularly in the last series against England, where he performed well.

Saud also set several records early in his Test career, although his tour of Australia presented difficulties, as he struggled to adjust to the challenging conditions.

Pakistan’s pitches and home conditions have been a long-standing concern, but the team showed intent by preparing green pitches in the recent Bangladesh series, in a bid to make Test matches more result-oriented. Captain Shan Masood, speaking in a PCB podcast, emphasised that Pakistan is determined to make their home grounds as formidable as those of India, England and Australia.

However, the second Test match in the series against England, originally scheduled to take place in Karachi, has been shifted to Multan, due to ongoing renovation work at the Karachi stadium. In fact, the first two Tests will now be held in Multan, where spin-friendly pitches have historically dominated. In the last Test match between Pakistan and England in Multan, spinners played a major role in determining the outcome, as the stats from the game show:

1st Innings:

10 wickets (Abrar & Zahid)

2nd Innings:

6 wickets (Root & Leach)

3rd Innings:

8 wickets (Nawaz, Abrar & Zahid)

4th Innings:

2 wickets (Root & Leach) + 8 wickets (Wood, Robinson & Anderson)

Pakistan’s squad selection indicates that they are once again preparing for spin-friendly conditions. Injured Khurram Shahzad has been replaced by spinner Nauman Ali, joining Abrar Ahmed and spin all-rounder Salman Ali Agha in the squad. Zahid Mahmood has also been included as the 16th member.

England, too, has packed their line-up with specialist spinners, including Shoaib Bashir, Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach, which suggests they’re also gearing up for a spin battle.

As Pakistan looks for their first home Test victory in nearly three years, Shan Masood will be hoping for his first win as Test captain. Meanwhile, England will be eager to showcase their aggressive Bazball approach on Pakistani soil once again.

Despite Pakistan’s crushing defeat at the hands of Bangladesh, this series against England promises to be a fiercely contested battle, with both teams looking to prove a point on the WTC points table.

The writer is a software engineer who employs data and statistics to dissect intricacies with precision and insight. X: @abubakartarar_

Published in Dawn, EOS, October 6th, 2024