Pakistan is probably the only cricket-playing country where the debate about pitches becomes broader than debates about team selection or performance.
This obsession did not appear recently. It really took shape three years ago, when Pakistan went through a painful home stretch. They lost a Test series to Australia with two dull draws and a loss, were whitewashed by England 3-0 on lifeless tracks and drew both Tests at home against New Zealand.
These series exposed a major flaw. Instead of being an advantage, Pakistan’s internal conditions had become neutral or even detrimental. Flat pitches were presented as good for hitting and supposedly good for long-term development, but they killed any chance of producing results. When the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman at the time, Ramiz Raja, defended this philosophy by saying that it would take a year for Pakistan to be able to prepare proper five-day Test pitches, fans became even more frustrated. Pakistan was not only losing matches but also losing identity.
The change that has occurred under the new management is remarkable. A setup with Aaqib Javed, Azhar Ali and Aleem Dar came at a time when England had already beaten Pakistan in the opening Test of a three-match series in 2024. From that difficult position, Pakistan bounced back to win the remaining two Tests. After three years without a single victory in the local event, this was more than just a result. It was a sign of a new mentality. Pakistan began to use fields as a strategic weapon instead of opting for flat surfaces that no one liked.
Pakistan has finally discovered its home advantage and must now rely on it…
This new thinking carried over into the next series against the West Indies. Pakistan again used spin-friendly pitches and although they lost one Test, the overall trend was clear. The matches gave results. Pakistan also lost a Test at home to South Africa in the current cycle, but the highlight is that there have been no drawn Tests since this approach began. This is a big change from the previous era, where slow, boring pitches created repetitive draws.
However, with every change comes noise. Once Pakistan began to see results in the changes in tone, a new debate began to dominate social media and television. People started claiming that Pakistan would destroy his fast bowling legacy. Some insisted that producing effects-friendly tracks would undo decades of tradition built by legends like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar.
Aaqib Javed addressed this in a recent interview on CricWick. Responding to claims that changing tracks would damage Pakistan’s identity, he asked a very simple question. He said Pakistan only plays two or three Tests at home in a series, which lasts about 20 days. If the best chance of beating strong teams is to create spin-friendly conditions during those 20 days, how could that end the country’s fast bowling heritage?
He also clarified that Pakistan will not use the same approach for all opponents. He explained that during the Asian teams’ tour, fast lanes will be prepared for bowling, because spinning lanes would not make sense against teams like India, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh.
For the first time in a long time, Pakistan seem to understand what home advantage really means. Previously, flat pitches allowed teams like England and Australia to dominate Pakistan even in Pakistan. Now the opposing batsmen must work for their runs, the spinners arrive early in the match and the seamers still have a role through new ball assist, reverse swing or uneven bounce. The logic behind this approach is clear. Pakistan cannot outperform the best teams on flat surfaces, but it can challenge them on pitches that require skill, patience and adaptability.
This mentality has also seeped into white-ball cricket. Recently, Pakistan have been preparing ODI and T20 tracks that offer some both pace and spin. Aaqib Javed explained in the interview that the team is already preparing for the next World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan are likely to play most of their matches in Sri Lanka, where the conditions naturally help the spinners. By playing on similar surfaces at home, the team hopes to adapt early, rather than waiting for the tournament to discover these challenges.
One of the most impressive aspects of the new system is how Pakistan has started producing different types of pitches at the same location. The best example was seen in Faisalabad. One ODI was played on a surface that supported fast bowling and had carry, while the other two ODIs on the same ground supported spin. This shows clear planning rather than random experimentation.
Aaqib also explained how the process works. Much of Pakistan uses Nandipur soil, which can be adapted. A dry surface encourages turning. Leaving a little moisture and stiffening the deck helps you bowl faster. None of this is complicated. It just requires clarity, confidence and a willingness to back a strategy.
The benefits of this approach go beyond immediate victories. Regularly playing on challenging surfaces will make Pakistani batsmen more complete. They will learn how to build inputs against spin, bounce and grip, rather than relying on flat tracks to rack up meaningless big scores. This is the kind of experience they will need when playing in Sri Lanka, India or other spin-friendly countries.
For bowlers, especially spinners, these pitches provide the perfect platform to develop confidence, patience and the ability to outpace batsmen. Even fast bowlers can thrive in these matches through reverse swing, cutters and tactical spells.
This new philosophy also sends a clear message to the locker room. Decisions will follow a defined local strategy. The players know what kind of cricket to expect. Now there is a clear model. Pakistan identifies the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses, prepares pitches accordingly and selects XIs that support the strategy. This clarity was missing in the era of flat wickets that produced no entertainment or results.
There will still be challenges. Spin-friendly pitches generally mean lower-scoring games and more collapses. Some hitters will struggle and the reactions on social media will be harsh. A bad set can lead to calls from all sides to return to flat, dead surfaces. That’s where patience will matter. Players must adapt and fans must understand the long-term plan.
If Pakistan truly wants to own this new identity, it must remain committed to it. They cannot panic after a single defeat and forget the purpose behind this approach. Three years of lifeless fields showed what happens when a team has no idea what it wants from its home conditions. Last year proved the opposite. Pakistan finally look like a team that understands what kind of cricket they want to play at home.
The next step is simple but demanding. Pakistan must continue to refine this model, trust the process and accept that challenging, results-oriented proposals are the way forward. These are the conditions that will make Pakistan a fortress again, rather than a place where touring teams feel completely comfortable.
The writer is a cricket correspondent.
and digital content creator.
X: @abubakartarar
Posted in Dawn, EOS, November 23, 2025
Header image: The Multan Cricket Stadium pitch, which was reused for the second Test match against England in October 2024. — AFP
