Pakistan have bounced back from a humiliating loss in the first match against England, by levelling the series with a strong win in the second match in Multan, and now finding themselves in pole position to go ahead and win the series in the deciding match in Rawalpindi.

After a completely flat pitch in the first Multan match, where England set a record-breaking first innings total before going on to make a massive innings win, the PCB decided to play the second match on the same strip.

This brought success for Pakistan, as spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali combined for all 20 wickets to run through an England batting lineup vulnerable to spin. A similarly spinning pitch was used in Rawalpindi, with the ball staying low and turning from the very first session.

While Pakistan stopped the rot after six consecutive losses under Shan Masood, it was in a fashion that hasn’t satisfied all. Pakistan legend and former pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar expressed his frustration at the choice to go for victories by sacrificing the quality of cricket on show.

Speaking on BBC’s Test Match Special, Shoaib didn’t mince his words as he pointed fingers at the leadership and management for this situation. “When you don’t put the right people in the right jobs and you put the wrong mindset on the wrong jobs, this is exactly what happens,” said Shoaib.

‘I often complained to my captains…’

The Rawalpindi Express then went on to explain that he saw this as a symptom of a greater issue within the Pakistan cricket stadium, taking a different form from his playing days. “The division you’re seeing did not happen overnight. It happened two decades ago. I often complained to my captains: ‘Why are you making dead pitches?’” said Shoaib.

“What do we do from here? We either take a selfish approach, make a spinning track, to win games. Or we save the game (Test cricket). I would rather see us save the game,” concluded Akhtar emphatically.

Pakistan took a 77-run lead in the first innings in Rawalpindi, with a Saud Shakeel century being the key innings for the team. In response, England find themselves struggling at 24/3 at stumps on day three, with plenty of work to do against spinners they have struggled playing. However, Joe Root and Harry Brook are at the crease, and will be hoping to play a rescue act and play spoilsport.

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