Cricket was played by children in India and Pakistan in front of their homes on the street. It’s a common habit among the people of the subcontinent, but it’s an unfamiliar idea to outsiders. Cricket is a sport that their players learn to play in the backyard.
Being kind hosts, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made an effort to introduce their culture and traditions to the visiting England squad. They couldn’t have just asked them to play cricket on the road to experience the prevalent street culture because doing so is risky.
Instead, the PCB discovered a superior solution to address both issues. It created a road-like ground at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
On the first day of the first Test match, the England batsmen welcomed their warm hospitality and made the most of it. On Day 1 of a Test match, four batters scored three figures for the first time.
Additionally, England became the first team to score over 500 runs on the first day of a Test match under the leadership of Ben Stokes, shattering another record. By the time two umpires clipped the bails to proclaim the day, the English batters had already broken dozens of other records.
Remember that English athletes broke these records despite allegedly not being at peak physical condition. Less than 24 hours prior to the match, reports of a large viral outbreak in the English camp surfaced.
Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar brutally made fun of Babar Azam and his team, saying they were fortunate that the English hitters were ill and that they went on to score 500 runs as a result. They would have made the hosts’ situation worse if they had been in shape.
The England team’s tabiyat is currently kharab, Shukar hai. In a video released on his Twitter account, Akhtar remarked, “Ye tabiyat theek nahi hai to 500 maar diye hai, theek hote to bhut bura haal karte.
On a more serious note, Akhtar said he had nothing against fast bowlers because they were all T20 specialists and needed to put in the hard work in the nets to develop into Test bowlers.
It is an illustrious series. For the first time in 17 years, English players have travelled to Pakistan for a red-ball series, so the PCB wanted to make their time there special—even at the expense of their own team.
Also read: Actor from “Squid Game” is charged with indecent assault