Pakistan bake Rawalpindi pitch with patio heaters and giant fans to send England spinning in final Test

Pakistan continued to bake the Rawalpindi pitch with the help of industrial-sized fans, in a bid to hit England with spin in the decisive third Test which starts on Thursday.

The hosts levelled the series on a re-used surface in Multan last week, having taken the unusual step of drying the pitch out with large fans stationed at each end.

The tactic worked as home spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan shared all 20 wickets in a 152-run win, and work has been under way attempting to get the ball turning again this week.

Pictures emerged on social media over the weekend showing six patio-style heaters and a pair of windbreaks being utilised by groundstaff in an apparent attempt to recycle warm air and make it a more bowler-friendly surface.

Pakistan trained on Monday, with just the two oversized fans remaining on an uncovered square taking in the midday sun.

The operation is being overseen by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Australian head curator Tony Hemming, though it remains to be seen how successful it is second time around. Conditions for the second Test were more extreme given the pitch had already seen more than 350 overs of action in the series opener and Rawalpindi is known for offering up flat batting decks.

When England won there in 2022, spinners were responsible for less than half the wickets in the match. The pitch was subsequently rated as “below average” by ICC match referee Andy Pycroft, whose report noted: “It was a very flat pitch which gave almost no assistance to any type of bowler.”