KARACHI: For a change, the pitch will not be a placid one when Pakistan take on New Zealand in the decisive second and final Test here at the National Stadium on Monday.

Less than 24 hours ahead of the decider, the surface that it will be contested on looked green. It is easy for spectators in Pakistan — who have been let down by docile wickets in a home season that saw Australia, England and New Zealand play Test matches in the country — to get excited by that sight. But what the interim national chief selector Shahid Afridi said on the eve of the match confirmed that the hosts are set to try something different.

“We plan to have competitive and positive cricket and the pitches should be prepared accordingly,” Afridi said after a meeting with Pakistan captain Babar Azam and head coach Saqlain Mushtaq on Sunday.

“The matches should be exciting enough to make people come to the stadium. We, too, should play with a positive mindset.

Afridi hinted the pitch for the second Test will test the batters and will help an inexperienced Pakistan pace bowling attack which is likely to be lead by left-armer Mir Hamza, who will be playing just his third Test match.

“We want to help players overcome their fears so that when they play in places like Australia, South Africa and England, they should be prepared in advance,” said the former Pakistan skipper

“We want our bowlers to perform well on these pitches, there needs to be an option for them as well.”

New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi also found the pitch different from what it was like in the first game. The former wicket-keeper, however, said the match will be as tough as the first, which ended in a tame draw.

“It does look different from the first Test... It has a bit more moisture,” Ronchi said during the pre-match press conference.

“It’s going to be a hard slog to get a result, you have to bat really well and need to take 20 wickets.”

If the pitch does turn out to be one conducive for fast bowling, Pakistan may consider handing a return to express pacer Naseem Shah, who hasn’t featured for the side due to a shoulder injury that he picked up during the first Test against England last month.

Hasan Ali, who was discarded after struggles with form and fitness after Pakistan’s Test tour to Sri Lanka July, will be another pace option for Babar and Saqlain.

Throughout the home season, which started with Australia’s tour in March, Pakistan’s go-to strategy has been to prepare batting friendly tracks that also help spinners.

Match starts at 10:00am (PST)

The tactic has gone against Pakistan’s favour, with Australia winning their three-match Test series 1-0 before England inflicted a 3-0 defeat on the hosts — their first ever Test whitewash at home.

Pakistan have heavily relied on their batting during the season but that has proved to be an unreliable strategy with side collapsing after promising starts in run chases.

The first Test against New Zealand saw Pakistan do better with the bat to save the match as Sarfraz Ahmed and Saud Shakil lead the counterattack after the visitors threatened to take it away at one point.

“In recent matches, we have lost wickets in bunches and that has let us down,” Saud said in a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Sunday. “We will try to change that by putting up big partnerships that will increase our chances to win matches.”

While some tweaking in the bowling resources seems inevitable for Pakistan, the hosts will try not to make changes to the batting line-up. Similarly, New Zealand may give a go to pacer Matt Henry to bolster their pace battery.

PAKISTAN: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood

NEW ZEALAND: Tim Southee (captain), Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young.

Published in Dawn, january 2th, 2023