What is the reason for the dismal turn-out?

Only 32,000 of the 76,000 seats available for the first four days of the game have been sold.

Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes says poor player publicity is to blame.

He also believes that West Indian and Asian communities do not feel welcome on English Test grounds.

Do you agree?

Or is the slump in sales due to a belief that the series is secondary to the showpiece summer event, the Ashes.

Why have you decided not to go to Old Trafford?

Tell us what you think.

Marketing is always a problem in English cricket because football takes far too much limelight.
Desmond Rizwani, UK

The reason is Old Trafford is a horrible venue, with a poor slow pitch, dreadful facilities and more often than not it rains! I went to two games at Old Trafford during the World Cup and it is the worst ground I have been to.
Cliff Nicholls, UK

The tickets aren't going to be sold unless people are told about ticket sales. Most people probably assume it's a sell out and therefore don't turn up. Then they look on the television and see thousands of empty seats.
Giles, UK

As Rodger Edwards says, it's the cost. If a Test goes to all five days, you'll be shelling out �100 and if the ground isn't up to scratch, you're not getting value for money. And don't forget, it's half-term - if you've got the day off work and you want to take your child, you'll be paying a small fortune.

So cut the ticket prices and watch the crowds flock back. The authorities can more than make up the difference by caning all those corporate freebie-merchants who are pricing ordinary fans out of the game.
Guy Haslam, England

It is an insult to the cricket supporters in Lancashire that in the year that the Australians are touring, we get a match against Pakistan. Most supporters I know are doing as I am - going to Trent Bridge to watch the Aussies. It is time the cricket authorities started to think about things before allocating matches.

Why couldn't the Pakistan series have been played on some developing Test grounds and the established grounds left for the Aussies?

By the way I do not agree with the comments regarding the state of the Old Trafford ground. Compared to Lord's - the home of cricket- the space to move around at Old Trafford is far better.
Dave, UK

Dead simple - too expensive! No need to look for complex reasons here - certainly not the race card and blaming the players .
Rodger Edwards, UK

Lancashire are a weak cricketing county who only win one-day games. Lancastrians haven't the patience or cricketing knowledge to appreciate a five-day Test match. And apart from Atherton, there aren't any Lancashire players anywhere near to getting in the England side. The Old Trafford Test should be replaced by an extra one at Headingley - which is sold out for the first three days of a match that doesn't even start for another two and a half months.
Brian, Yorks, UK

One of the prime reasons that the tickets have not sold for Old Trafford is the terrible state of the ground. I have been going there for about ten years and in that time there has been no ground development. When you compare it to other grounds such as Trent Bridge or the Oval the difference is stark, and the facilities far from appropriate for a Test match ground.
James Lovatt, England

Old Trafford should only get a Test every other year until attendances improve. There has been a long history of pathetic attendance there and I fail to believe it's purely that the ECB hasn't promoted the match.

Give either the Riverside ground a chance or maybe the Rosebowl (in a few years). If these grounds can show they can get consistently better crowds than Manchester the answer would seem obvious to me. Besides, it always rains at Old Trafford.
Paul, UK