Kmflett's Blog

Pakistan lost the second Test against England at Lords on Sunday, as they had lost the first Test, by a significant margin.

Of course the Lords pitch is not fit for purpose, which may reflect the wider crisis of the political party historically associated with cricket, the Conservatives. In addition the Day Four crowd on a Bank Holiday Sunday was not as large as might have been hoped. Lords had reduced the ticket prices to £70 (upwards) for adults and £30 for under-16s. Lords it may be assumed has never heard of the cost of living crisis.

The wider point was that despite late evening drink related concerns the England team played reasonably. The Pakistan team had some good individual performances certainly, but were generally poor. It was not the best advert for Test cricket a form of the game which is under threat from the financial pressures of T20 franchise cricket.

The cricket media, while not totally adverse to discussing politics and the politics of sport on occasion, generally steers clear. The case of imprisoned former Pakistan Test cricket Imran Khan was highlighted on Sky by Mike Atherton and former Test captains from various countries have made representations. However wider media coverage remains limited, in particular on the BBC’s Test Match Special.

For really useful knowledge on what is going on, Tariq Ali’s analysis is indispensable

The Pakistan side meanwhile are to meet King Charles this week. How this will help is unclear.

King Charles: Pakistan to meet King following controversial Lord’s Test – BBC Sport