England and Pakistan have united in condemning the pitch at the Iqbal Stadium ahead of the final day on a lifeless wicket which has left the second Test heading for an almost inevitable draw.

Desperate to claim a positive result in the middle Test of the three-match series, both sides have been frustrated by the benign nature of the surface.

It has also proved a lesson in patience for the enthusiastic Faisalabad crowd who have watched a dull stalemate evolve.

"We don't want a full house here to get bored watching slow cricket," stressed Pakistan all-rounder Wasim Akram.

"We have to start preparing result-orientated wickets not just for Pakistan's sake but for the good of Test cricket in Pakistan."

"I wanted to pull out something special in my 100th Test, I was very focused and wanted to do well, but it's very hard bowling on a pitch like that.

"Just ask Darren Gough how he feels about bowling out there."

Craig White, whose powerful 41 helped England secure a small first innings lead, added: "It's a dead, horrible pitch which is no good for Test cricket and no good for anybody.

'Pretty boring'

"It's horrible to watch, not great to play and it's all down to the pitch.

"You can score when the ball is new because it comes on to the bat, but as soon as that wears off it gets pretty dead and pretty boring for everyone involved.

"It's vital we get a good wicket for the last Test, not just for this series but for cricket as a whole.

"We have to sort the pitches out, it makes for better cricket, better to play, better to watch and better results."