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Kevin Pietersen baffled with disintegration of Test match batting skill: ‘Cricket is a smackers game now’
Pietersen, who had solid batting technique against spin, suggested that there is no quick remedy for tackling quality spinners on turning tracks.
Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen has claimed that cricket has turned into a 'smacker's game' as batters' lack of application and technique has been a reason behind their downfall against spinners. In recent matches, India and England's batters were completely exposed against spinners on a turning track and lost the Test series to New Zealand and Pakistan, respectively. India, who were proclaimed to be the masters of churning out victories on turning tracks, were left exposed while playing on such tracks on their home soil against New Zealand.
England performed well in the opening Test where PCB prepared a flat track in Multan and posted over 800 runs in an innings and went on to win the match but things went downhill for him in the next two matches which were played on turning tracks.
Veteran England batter Pietersen said he isnot surprised at all by the lack of batting application and technique in red-ball cricket. The batters have started adopting a fearless approach, which Pietersen feels has pulled them down against spinners.
"No one should be surprised by the lack of batting application and technique in Test Match cricket. Cricket is a ‘smackers’ game now and there is a disintegration of Test Match batting skill in the game," Pietersen wrote on X.
‘There’s no quick remedy’: Pietersen
Meanwhile, the Indian team also struggled miserably against the New Zealand spinners on turning tracks in Pune and Mumbai. Senior India batter Virat Kohli's poor run against the spinners continued as he failed to get going on tricky tracks and had a forgettable series. Rishabh Pant was the only Indian batter who looked comfortable while batting against the kiwi spinners, and he also had to adopt an attacking approach to score runs.
Pietersen, who had solid batting technique against spin, suggested that there is no quick remedy for tackling quality spinners on turning tracks.
"When it comes to playing spin, the only way, spend time playing against it for hours and hours and hours. There’s no quick remedy!" he concluded.
