Faheem slams Mirpur pitch

Express Tribune

2 days ago

Faheem Ashraf's maiden T20I half-century went in vain as Pakistan suffered an eight-run defeat in the second T20I against Bangladesh. Photo: AFP
Pakistan all-rounder Faheem Ashraf has voiced concerns over the pitch conditions at the Shere Bangla Stadium, attributing the challenging surface to hot weather and recent rainfall after Pakistan's defeat in the second T20I against Bangladesh on Tuesday.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ashraf drew comparisons between the current surfaces and those seen during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
"You mentioned the BPL and the current matches — the BPL takes place in December-January, so the weather is cold during that time, whereas now the weather is hot. So the pitches you're seeing now are totally different. At that time, there wasn't as much spin or grip, and the pace wasn't coming through like this," Ashraf remarked.
Ashraf also emphasised how changing weather and ground conditions have impacted surface behaviour.
He elaborated that while BPL pitches gradually improve for batting, the current series is unfolding on tracks that remain inconsistent in nature.
"Early on in those matches, there's usually a bit of grass, so the initial games can be slightly challenging, but later the pitches become good for batting. However, that's not the case in this series because the surface is becoming hard, yet underneath it still feels soft," he said.
The 31-year-old also revealed insights shared by the ground staff.
"We spoke with the groundsmen as well, and they said maybe due to the rains, the pitches haven't been prepared in the usual way," he revealed.
"But if you compare it with the BPL, there's a big difference. I played last year and this year as well — the pitches in the BPL are much better compared to the ones we're playing on now," he concluded.
Pak slip in rankings
Pakistani cricketers have experienced a significant decline in the latest ICC T20I rankings, following inconsistent performances in the ongoing three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Mirpur, where the national team has lost the first two encounters.
Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris has fallen 20 places, now sitting at 50th with 514 rating points.
Out-of-form opener Saim Ayub dropped three spots to 64th, while top-order batter Hassan Nawaz saw a sharp decline, slipping 22 positions to 68th.
Even players not part of the current squad, such as star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, have not been spared, with both dropping one place to 13th and 14th respectively.
Fakhar Zaman, who showed discipline in his batting across consecutive matches against Bangladesh, rose eight spots to 79th with 426 rating points.
White-ball captain Usman Khan, who struggled with the bat and managed only nine runs off 23 deliveries in the second T20I, dropped 18 places to 93rd with 396 points.
Australia's Travis Head continues to lead the T20I batting rankings, followed by India's Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma in second and third place, respectively.
In the bowling rankings, pacer Abbas Afridi slipped two places to 22nd with 608 rating points, while Haris Rauf fell four spots to 24th with 593 points.
Left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi, currently not part of the T20I squad, also dropped two positions to 36th with 591 points. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed showed improvement, climbing 12 places to 49th with 499 points.
Vice-captain Shadab Khan fell four spots, landing at 65th in the latest update.
New Zealand's Jacob Duffy retained his number one position in the T20I bowling rankings, followed by England's Adil Rashid and India's Varun Chakaravarthy in second and third place, respectively.