Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur lamented what he termed the deteriorating standard of South African wickets after the second day of the second Test on Friday.

Arthur believes batting in this country has become a lottery‚ even in the first innings.

“I’m a little bit disappointed to be honest. I haven’t been back to South Africa in a cricketing capacity since 2010. The standard of the wicket we had at Centurion and the wicket here I think hasn’t been good enough for Test cricket‚” said Arthur‚ who coached South Africa between 2006 and 2010.

Arthur who had watched his team toil on day two and find themselves 205 runs behind South Africa‚ who still have four wickets in hand in their first innings‚ was a little conflicted about the extent a home team should tailor conditions in their favour.

“When South Africa play a team from the subcontinent you are always going ask for a bit of bounce and pace. I think both wickets have been weighted in favour of the bowlers.

“Obviously it is home ground advantage and that is right. We get the ball to turn in the UAE.

“Poor Aiden Markram. I thought he was outstanding but being an opening batsmen in international cricket in South Africa is a tough gig‚” Arthur said.

He argued that the inconsistent bounce made batting at Newlands a perilous exercise. South Africa captain Faf du Plessis (103) and Temba Bavuma (75) took body blows on a number of occasions but battled through.

“I think it is inconsistent‚” said Arthur about the bounce. “I think there were seven stoppages for balls that hit cracks. And we are talking about day two and I would understand if it was days four and five. Pitches shouldn’t make your first innings a lottery.”

When asked whether he thought the wickets were dangerous Arthur said: “I don’t think they are dangerous. I think the difference was South Africa bowled at 145km plus and we were at 135km and I think 10 km on a wicket like that makes a significant difference.”

Bavuma‚ who batted for five minutes short of four hours‚ had distinct views on the pitch.

“I wouldn’t call it dangerous. Faf is still living and I’m still living. It was challenging and tricky but definitely impossible to bat on.

“If I compare it to SuperSport Park it was a bit quicker. Any deviation off the wicket was a hard to adjust to.

“It was challenging but not impossible. As a batter you have to try and embrace it. You have to make peace with the fact that you are going to get hit a few times.

“It is tough. You are not going to go out there and just hit through the line. You have to apply yourself. Having said that a guy like 'Quinnie' [Quinton de Kock] came in and made it look as if he was batting on another strip. Aiden Markram did the same‚” said Bavuma.

The standard of South African pitches came under close scrutiny last season when the Test against India at the Wanderers was almost called off. Ironically‚ the groundsman there‚ Bethwell Buthelezi‚ will soon have to report to Evan Flynt‚ the current curator of the square at Newlands.