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Pakistan's fast-bowling strength was once regarded as one of the team's biggest weapons. From Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis to Shoaib Akhtar and more recently Shaheen Afridi, the country has repeatedly produced world-class quicks.

Former Pakistan women's cricketer Urooj Mumtaz believes that strength has faded, and she has pointed towards the pitches prepared during Babar Azam's time as captain as one of the factors behind the decline.

Speaking during a Sky Sports segment with England great Michael Atherton, Mumtaz argued that Pakistan's domestic cricket moved too far towards batter-friendly pitches, leaving fast bowlers with little assistance to develop their skills.

Urooj Mumtaz Points To Babar Azam's Captaincy Era

Mumtaz said Pakistan's problems begin with the surfaces being prepared in domestic cricket.

According to her, pitches that once helped develop fast bowlers increasingly became flatter, giving batters more favourable conditions and leaving seamers with little room to learn how to exploit movement and bounce.

"There’s obviously a problem with the pitches that we prepare, back home," Mumtaz said during the Sky Sports discussion.

She then linked the shift to the period when Babar was captain, saying the team's batting-heavy approach influenced the type of pitches being prepared.

"Especially when Babar was captain, he wanted flatter tracks, wanted the batsmen sort of dominated the way things ran more," Mumtaz said.

She further claimed that grass was removed from first-class pitches, reducing the assistance available to quick bowlers.

'Zero Assistance' For Pakistan's Fast Bowlers

Mumtaz argued that the consequences of those conditions can now be seen in Pakistan's bowling attack.

She said fast bowlers were effectively being denied the conditions they needed in domestic cricket to develop, while batters were given surfaces where they could score without facing enough challenges from pace and movement.

"Even in first-class cricket, grass was taken off," she said, adding that fast bowlers were being given "zero assistance" in domestic cricket.

Mumtaz believes this has contributed to Pakistan moving away from what was historically one of its defining strengths.

The issue has become particularly noticeable during Pakistan's ongoing Test series against England at Headingley, where the visitors were bowled out for just 171 in their first innings.

Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah Also Highlighted

Mumtaz also discussed the struggles of some of Pakistan's most promising fast bowlers.

Shaheen Afridi emerged as one of the brightest young fast-bowling talents in world cricket, but injuries have affected his progress.

"After the injury, he fell off," Mumtaz said while discussing Afridi's decline.

She was even more critical when discussing Naseem Shah, saying the pacer has struggled to maintain the presence and impact expected of him.

"Naseem Shah is nowhere to be found," she said.

Mumtaz also pointed to Haris Rauf, suggesting that he is no longer bowling as quickly or maintaining his pace for long periods.

Pakistan's Pace-Bowling Problem Gets Bigger

Pakistan have continued to search for the next generation of fast bowlers, but Mumtaz believes the domestic structure needs to change if the country wants to restore its traditional strength.

She highlighted young pacers such as Ali Raza but said genuine high-quality pace bowlers remain relatively rare.

Her comments come at a difficult time for Pakistan's Test team. The visitors are under pressure against England after struggling with both bat and ball in the series opener.

For a country whose cricketing identity has long been associated with fast bowling, Mumtaz's argument raises a bigger question: has Pakistan's focus on producing batting-friendly conditions come at the expense of its most famous weapon?