Pakistan has made major changes to their lineup for the second Test starting on Tuesday. They have included three specialist spinners – Noman Ali (left-arm), Zahid Mahmood (leg-spinner), and Sajid Khan (off-spinner) – along with seam-bowling allrounder Aamer Jamal. This is a significant shift from the pace-friendly pitches that Pakistan had been aiming to create at home.
The decision was partly due to the unavailability of key fast bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, who were released from the squad due to fitness or performance issues. Moreover, England’s batsmen had little trouble facing Pakistan’s fast bowlers during recent matches.
Another factor behind this decision is the current lack of top-quality spinners in Pakistan, combined with the fact that their primary spinner, Abrar Ahmed, ended up in the hospital during the first Test. Just two months ago, Pakistan opted for an all-seam attack against Bangladesh, which raised eyebrows, especially considering the pitches they had requested.
However, the three new spinners haven’t played much red-ball cricket recently, with Noman Ali last featuring in October 2023, while Zahid Mahmood and Sajid Khan haven’t played first-class matches since January. Pakistan‘s domestic season hasn’t started yet, so these players lack recent match practice.
Kamran Ghulam is set to make his debut, replacing Babar Azam, who was dropped due to poor form. The rest of the batting lineup remains unchanged, and Jamal will continue at number eight, providing depth to the batting order. However, Jamal will be the only fast bowler in the team, which could put a lot of pressure on him if the pitch favors seam bowling at any point. If neither captain Shan Masood nor Mohammad Rizwan bowl, this will be the first time Pakistan fields only one fast-bowling option in a men’s Test match.
There was also a lot of debate among the selectors about the final squad. Assistant coach Azhar Mahmood acknowledged that the delay in announcing the team was due to discussions about the 11th player. They had considered including another fast bowler, but ultimately decided that the pitch would favor spin heavily.
Pakistan’s XI for the second Test against England:
- Abdullah Shafique
- Saim Ayub
- Shan Masood (captain)
- Kamran Ghulam
- Saud Shakeel
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Salman Ali Agha
- Aamer Jamal
- Noman Ali
- Sajid Khan
- Zahid Mahmood
This drastic change in strategy shows Pakistan’s confidence in spin for this match, despite the inexperience of the spinners and the potential risks with just one pace option.
Check Also: Australia named 14-member ODI Squad against Pakistan, Pat Cummins return as Captain