Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has described the pitch for the third and final test against West Indies as substandard. Pakistan were bowled out for 304 runs on the second day after struggling to 257 for seven on day one despite a hundred from Mohammad Yousuf.
The batsmen faced severe problems with the low bounce and slow pace of the pitch. "This is a very difficult wicket and it is going to get worse to bat on as the game progresses," Inzamam said. "After seeing the behaviour of the pitch on the first day there is no way one can describe it as up to test standards."
Inzamam, who struggled to 18 from 64 balls, said the pitch was not ideal for a test match. "By the third day the spinners are going to get lot of turn and the variable bounce is a major concern for everyone. Getting a total of 300 is good on this track," he said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board curators at the National stadium blamed excessive rolling for the low bounce. "We just follow orders that is all. We were told to cut off the grass and keep on rolling it to keep it dry and suitable for spinners and we did that," one said. West Indies opener Chris Gayle also described the wicket as the worst test pitch he had ever seen.
"The pitch is horrendous for test cricket because of the extreme slowness and lowness of it," he wrote in his tour diary. "It is the worst test pitch I have ever seen so far in my career because the ball was almost rolling on the very first day of the match," he added. Gayle was out for 40 after lunch on Tuesday as West Indies lost four wickets for 131. Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0 after a nine-wicket win in the first test in Lahore. The second ended in a high-scoring draw in Multan.
The preparation of pitches in Pakistan has long been the subject of intense debate with the board even hiring a foreign curator, Andy Atkinson, three years ago to help the locals prepare test and one-day wickets. West Indies have not won a series in Pakistan since 1981.