Former England captain slams Multan pitch conditions amid team's historic run feast

England shattered records in the first Test against Pakistan, amassing a staggering 823 runs in response to the hosts’ first innings total of 307. This monumental effort not only secured a commanding 267-run lead but also highlighted the visitors' aggressive approach to the game.

Former captain Joe Root led the charge with a masterful double century, scoring 244 runs, while young talent Harry Brook etched his name in the record books by becoming the sixth Englishman to score a triple century in Test cricket, finishing with a remarkable 319 runs. Their monumental 393-run partnership stands as the highest ever for England in Test history.

Despite the extraordinary run-fest, the performance has sparked criticism regarding the condition of the Multan pitch, which many have deemed excessively batter-friendly. Former England captain Nasser Hussain provided a scathing assessment, humorously suggesting that “if a batsman misses three balls, he should be declared out on this track.”

Hussain commended Brook and Root for their exceptional fitness and tenacity on a record-breaking day four for the visitors. “That’s one thing maybe this side has been criticised for with the bat, is that they’ve not been ruthless,” he noted. “Forget the conditions and forget the pitch; it’s one of the flattest pitches that we’ve ever seen really, but they were definitely ruthless. And in their own special way. How you can score 820 in 150 overs and still be ruthless? This side has managed to do that.”

He praised the batting approach of openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, emphasizing that Root maintained his scoring tempo throughout his innings. “Of anyone who has got over 250, his boundary percentage was the lowest, which just shows his level of fitness and the nature of his ruthless batting that we’ve seen for a number of years,” Hussain added.

Brook’s commitment to his innings was also highlighted: “He could have easily got to 150 and thought, ‘You know what, I’m exhausted,’ and played some fancy shot and slogged it straight up in the air. He didn’t, and neither did Root. You have to admire their fitness but also their stubbornness to a degree. It’s a really good sign that this side, with all their attacking instinct, can go on and amass such a big score,” Hussain stated on Sky Sports Cricket.