Abu Dhabi cricket pitch "nightmare" for fast bowlers: Shoaib Akhtar

Islamabad, Jan 27 (ANI): Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has said the cricket ground in Abu Dhabi, where Pakistan and England are engaged in a Test match, is not at all suitable for fast bowlers.

"The ground is sandy, thick and hard and it is a nightmare for the fast bowlers to bowl there," the Daily Times quoted Akhtar, as saying.

However, he said that the spinners could extract sharp turn and bounce if they were willing to push the ball through instead of giving it flight.

Akhtar, who is appearing on the newly-launched PTV Sports as an expert for the series, felt the ongoing second Test was wide open after the second day's play on Thursday.

England were comfortably sitting on 166-1, but lost four wickets in the last session of the second day. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed three of those wickets as England ended the day at 207-5, still trailing Pakistan's first-innings score of 257 by 50 runs.

"It is in an intriguing stage. Pakistan must not relax in the first session tomorrow and try to take the remaining five English wickets for as many less runs as possible. If England gets a lead of even 60 to 70 runs, it will become a difficult situation for Pakistan," Akhtar said.

He insisted that Pakistan's best spinner, Ajmal, had made the mistake of thinking he would get wickets in Abu Dhabi by bowling the way he had done in Dubai.

"When he got wickets, it was when he pushed the ball through and depended less on his doosra and more on his off-break ball. Players have to evolve with every match taking into consideration the conditions and weather at a particular time," he added. (ANI)