“Kaisa laga mera mazak?” – Fans troll Shahid Afridi for failing to live up to his promise of preparing bouncy pitch for 2nd PAK vs NZ Test
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman of the interim selection committee, Shahid Afridi, promised a bouncy track for the second Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi, which began on Monday (January 2). However, the visitors reached Lunch without losing a wicket.
Fans took digs at Afridi for failing to prepare a bouncy track for the second Test. The reaction came after New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Tom Latham put on a century stand in the first session on Day 1. At Lunch, the visitors reached 119-0, with Conway (51*) and Latham (67*) at the crease.
Lunch break on the opening day 🍽️
#PAKvNZ | #TayyariKiwiHai https://t.co/dra12sQNx5
Here are some of the best Twitter reactions from fans:
Ye pitch toh pehly wali se b gayi guzri hai.
GREEN PITCH 🤭
#PakvsNZ
#shahidafridi https://t.co/3BMsneK9XK
@IArham_ Shahid afridi ki bouncy pitch hai bhai 🫣
Shahid Afridi had promised a better pitch in the second Test.
Surely it's better..for batters.
Kya hua bhailogo?Ye pitch tu Shahid Afridi ne khud banwayi ha na? https://t.co/uTS5du586W
Shahid Afridi promised better pitch assisting the bowlers for second test, New Zealand going at 5 runs in an over...just the Boom Boom things!
#CricketTwitter #PakvsNZ
Shahid Afridi se puchna chahiye yeh pitch banaye kis ke liye hai na pacers ki lag rahi hai na spinners ki...#PAKvNZ
@ImNajeebH Hahah.. Karachi mein shahid afridi grassy pitch baba raha hy jaisay is sy shoaib, Waseem, waqar Asif yeh saab loog pagal thy jo dead pitches py reverse kartay thy…
shahid afridi is cancer for pakistan team and ruining team combination
The more I see Shahid Afridi the more I hate cricket
@kushal_mehra What a boring match is going on🤦🏻♂️
NZ is playing like Odi and the wicket is so flat. 🤦🏻♂️
So much for Shahid Afridi making good wicket. @kushal_mehra
It’s worth mentioning that Babar Azam and Co. failed to win a Test at home last year. They lost the Test series against Australia and England. Their only win came in Sri Lanka in July 2022. Pakistan will hope to return to winning ways on home turf in the new year.
What did Shahid Afridi say about the second Test pitch?
In a pre-match press conference, Shahid Afridi had said:
“We want our cricket to move forward, but the pitches we have played on won’t help us do that. Such pitches are not good for bowlers. We are trying to make a bouncy pitch for the second Test.”
Afridi's statement came after the pitches in Pakistan were criticised following a 3-0 Test series loss against England under former PCB chief Ramiz Raja.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) rated the Rawalpindi pitch, which hosted the first Test during England's tour of Pakistan, as ‘below average.’ Earlier, the venue had also received demerit points after hosting the first Test between Pakistan and Australia in March. The pitches in Multan and Karachi were also questioned for failing to assist the Pakistan bowlers.
Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees said:
“It was a very flat pitch which gave almost no assistance to any type of bowler. That was the main reason why batters scored very fast, and both sides posted huge totals. The pitch hardly deteriorated during the match.”
The opening Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi ended in a draw.