New Delhi, Mar 8 (IANS): Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has criticised the Rawalpindi pitch used for the first Pakistan-Australia Test match as it has offered no assistance to the bowlers.

The 44-year old added that such dead pitches are the 'biggest threat to Test cricket'.

"I find it amusing when Test matches get over inside four days yet teams lose WTC points for overrate. The biggest threat to Test cricket is not overrate. Tests rarely go to day 5 anyway nowadays. The biggest threat to Test cricket is dead pitches. Dead pitch = Dead game," Jaffer wrote on Twitter.

Australia last toured to Pakistan in 1998 when it won the test series 1-0. The historic series between Pakistan and Australia has been poor as the fans witnessed a boring first Test on a dead pitch of Pindi Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan declared first innings on 476 for 4 and at stumps on Day 4, Australia were placed at 449 for 7. More than 900 runs have been scored and only 11 wickets have fallen in the first four days, ensuring that the result will be nothing but a dull draw.

Earlier, Australia batter Steve Smith who scored 78 off 196 balls, was also disappointed with the wicket and called the surface 'dead and benign' which offered little help to the seamers.

"It's pretty benign. There's not a great deal of pace and bounce in it for the seamers. I think the spinners have offered a little bit. But yeah, pretty benign, dead wicket," said Smith.

The likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Shaheen Afridi are playing the Test but they have not received any assistance from the pitch. However, Pakistan's spinner Nauman Ali has been a notable performer, bagging six wickets for 107.