The most noticeable thing about England’s opening Test with Pakistan has been the distinct lack of fans.

England haven’t played in Pakistan since 2022, so you would expect the Tests to be played in front of tens of thousands of vocal and excited supporters, but that hasn’t been the case.

The few in the Multan Cricket Stadium witnessed Joe Root make history as he became England’s all-time leading Test run scorerGetty

The Multan Cricket Stadium holds 35,000 people, but the majority of the stands have been barren as Pakistan take on England on a pretty dead pitch that has been very friendly for the batters.

And what’s worse about the crowds is that it’s likely to be the same in the next Test on the same ground.

Why are there so few spectators at Pakistan vs England?

The sight of Joe Root beating Sir Alastair Cook‘s all-time Test record at the Multan Cricket Stadium in front of, at best, a couple of thousand was disappointing.

It was a moment that deserved a full crowd to witness Root’s genius but there are numerous reasons why the attendances have been so poor.

The main issue which has contributed to bad crowds is that it was only confirmed 17 days before the first day of the opening Test that the series between these two nations would actually be held in Pakistan.

There was uncertainty around the second Test, which was due to take place in Karachi at the National Bank Stadium.

However, that ground is undergoing some major construction work ahead of the Champions Trophy in February.

This threw the whole tour into chaos, with suggestions that the Tests could be moved to the UAE or Sri Lanka.

Eventually, it was announced the second Test would also be held in Multan.

However, this has undoubtedly caused chaos for home and visiting fans, who would have had to make late travel arrangements.

The Multan Cricket Stadium is an impressive venueGetty

Another reason why there are so few fans is because there aren’t many English spectators.

The Barmy Army often organise all of the trips abroad for England members, but they revealed ahead of the tour, there would only be about 20 going.

This is partly down to the uncertainty over the Tests, while others are going to New Zealand and the West Indies later in the year.

Many members are also simply saving for The Ashes next year.

Speaking about why there aren’t many England fans in Pakistan, the Barmy Army’s Sophie Henderson told The Guardian: “It’s really not been ideal at all. It’s very difficult to plan when you don’t know what cities you’re going to.”

Another issue is that the first two Tests have been scheduled slap bang in the middle of the Pakistani working week, leading to many tickets being offered for free.

As with most countries, Pakistan’s working week is from Monday to Friday, 9am-5:30pm.

The first Test in Multan started on Monday and is set to run until Friday, meaning not a single day will be on a weekend.

The second Test is set to get going on Tuesday, October 15, so if it goes the full five days, the last part of the match will be on a weekend.

Things for the third Test should be better because that is due to start on Thursday, October 24, but until then, don’t be surprised if attendances stay low even with spectators being actively encouraged to watch the Tests for free.