Under heavy fire for what happened in Lahore, the PCB has promised better wickets for the rest of this series. But it may want to review that promise because things don’t appear very different in Faisalabad, where the Second Test begins on Saturday.This reporter arrived here too late to check out the pitch but conversations with those in the know suggest that the Faisalabad track looks set to live up to its reputation of being a draw-oriented pitch.The groundsmen here have, from all accounts, been working hard trying to keep it in proper shape. The PCB has even deployed chief curator Agha Zahid and his crack team to make the conditions ‘livelier’.But, as in Lahore, they are battling time and the weather gods. The winter monsoons have not helped the situation, and despite the local staff using dryers throughout the day, the moisture and dampness in the air may deprive the Faisalabad wicket of even the hardness and bounce that was available in Gaddafi.Adding to that is the gloomy weather and lack of sunshine; the groundsmen are praying for proper sunshine over the next couple of days.Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq has already expressed his disappointment over the flat nature of the tracks. On Wednesday, Haq suggested that ‘‘it is important to realize that Test cricket will not provide results on such tracks,’’ adding that it was ‘‘discouraging’’ to have this set-up for such important matches.The temperature is a little warmer now in Faisalabad after it touched an all-time low, here, last week. It is the only reassuring sign for the groundsmen. But something’s better than nothing.
