sport news BUMBLE ON THE TEST: Rehan Ahmed needs in Pakistan, sitting on the sidelines ... trends now BUMBLE ON THE TEST: Rehan Ahmed needs to play in the next two Tests in Pakistan, England are crying out for a wrist spinner and sitting on the sidelines does the 18-year-old no good Bat continued to dominate ball on day two of England's Test against Pakistan Pakistan finished the day 181 without loss in response to England's 657 The pitch has been too flat and not good for Test cricket as a whole Rehan Ahmed should be picked to give England some unpredictability By David Lloyd for the Daily Mail Published: 23:39 GMT, 2 December 2022 | Updated: 23:39 GMT, 2 December 2022 Viewcomments England were left slightly deflated at the end of day two of their first Test against Pakistan after the hosts began to dig into the first innings defecit. Ben Stokes' side were eventually all out for 657 in just 101 overs thanks to a remarkable 153 from Harry Brook, but Abdullah Shafique and Imam Ul-Haq fought back well to take Pakistan to 181 without loss at stumps, on what is turning out to be something of a flat pitch. Sportsmail's David 'Bumble' Lloyd picks out his talking points from the second day in Rawalpindi. Bat continued to dominate ball on day two of England's first Test against Pakistan GROUNDS FOR CONCERN It was all so predictable on day two on that pitch. Batters would be better off without pads in Rawalpindi because the ball should never miss their bat. Pitches like this are not good for Test cricket. PCB chair Ramiz Raja said on Test Match Special he wants better surfaces for Tests in Pakistan. Well, somebody instructed the groundsman to produce this pitch. TIME TO LET AHMED OFF THE LEASH... What England were crying out for was a wrist-spinner. They needed the unpredictable. It seems Matt Parkinson’s race is run and they are instead looking at Rehan Ahmed in Pakistan. Rehan Ahmed should be picked for the final two Tests to give England some unpredictability If Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum think the teenager is good enough already to be in the squad then they should play him in the next two Tests. ...HERE OR BACK HOME I did sit up in my chair when McCullum appeared to say Ahmed is better off learning with England than he would be at Leicestershire. I hope he doesn’t mean taking him around the world without playing him. There is nothing better than bowling in the middle — even if it means England having a word with Paul Nixon and asking him to play Ahmed at Grace Road in the early season ‘winter’ games! I DOFF MY CAP TO ATHERS Michael Atherton handed fellow Lancastrian Liam Livingstone his first England cap England do have a part-time wrist-spinner in Liam Livingstone but he has no mystery in his all-sorts. And he was off with an ankle issue yesterday, anyway. Michael Atherton presented Livingstone with his first Test cap on day one. What a marvellous choice. They are similar players: dashing, big-hitting Lancastrians! HOSTS LACK SPIN KING Not that Pakistan had the answer, even though their leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood did take four wickets. Their spinning cupboard is pretty bare. Think back to their greats — Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq and Saeed Ajmal. They were all world-class but the spinners in this Test have not posed any real threat. POPE WAS CAUGHT SHORT Ollie Pope took a good leg-side grab off Abdullah Shafique only for TV to deem it had dropped short. Zahid Mahmood struggled to match the great Pakistani spinners and did not pose much threat We have been here a million times with these foreshortened images on low catches ever since Tony Greig demonstrated on Channel Nine the camera can lie when he had his fingers under the ball. GO BACK TO BASICS The thing about these catches is players know if it is out. But they also know there will be doubt if it goes to the TV umpire. Before technology you just turned to the bloke and said: ‘Did you catch that?’ If he said yes you walked off. Let’s return to that. If the fielder is not sure, nor can the umpire be and it should be not out. Simple. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility