Pakistan’s difficult Test tour of England has now spilled into a debate over pitch preparation, with former cricketer Bazid Khan making a contentious claim about the surfaces provided to different visiting teams. Pakistan have already surrendered the three match series 2-0, with England winning the opening Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs before completing a 194 run victory at Lord’s. The final encounter is scheduled to begin at Edgbaston on September 9.
That series did feature several Tests that reached the fifth day, but the broader record does not by itself establish Bazid’s suggestion that pitches were deliberately prepared to guarantee five day matches. For Pakistan, the immediate concern is far more straightforward. England have dominated the current series, and the visitors have struggled to match the hosts in both batting and bowling.
India’s most recent Test visit to England came in 2025. The five match series produced a 2-2 draw and stretched across all 25 scheduled days of cricket, with India securing a six run victory in the deciding Test at The Oval.
“When India go to England for a Test series, they get pitches that make the game last all five days. Every Test match with India lasts five days. Why? Any other team goes to England, the Test ends in three days. It’s not like the nature of the pitch changed. The former Pakistan player expanded his argument beyond England, suggesting that India’s enormous commercial pull influences how Test tours are approached.
Because if it ends early, there will be a financial hit to the wallet of the board.
You are creating pitches that way that the game would last five days for India games,” Bazid said on OutSide EDGE.
