Pakistan stick with spin as they chase West Indies series sweep

MULTAN (AFP): Head coach Aaqib Javed brushed aside criticism of Pakistan’s reliance on spin bowling as they seek a clean sweep against the West Indies in the second Test starting on Saturday.

Pakistan completed a 127-run win inside three days in the opening Test, with spinners Sajid Khan taking nine wickets, Noman Ali six and Abrar Ahmed five for their third straight win at home.

West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican also grabbed a career-best 7-32 as 34 of the 40 wickets in the match went to spinners.

The second Test will also be played on a dry and grassless pitch in the central city of Multan.

Former Pakistan players and analysts hit out at the spin-heavy strategy, saying the team would struggle on away tours where pitches may not be as conducive to spin.

Aaqib, a fast bowler from an era dominated by the great pacemen Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, insisted the spin assault would continue.

“We found that the West Indies have a weakness in dealing with the spin bowling, so we exploited that and will do that again,” Aaqib told a news conference on Friday.

West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite had no qualms about Pakistan’s tactics.

“Pakistan are playing at home and if they believe spinning pitches are their strength then that’s fine and that’s how cricket is played,” Brathwaite said.

“I have played on pitches which took turn from day one but not like this, which had cracks from day one,” he said.

‘Believe in your plan’

West Indies will be without injured pace bowler Jayden Seales, who took three wickets in the first match and will be replaced by the experienced Kemar Roach.

Pakistan are unlikely to make any changes.

Brathwaite said his batters need more faith after the first Test, in which his team managed just 137 and 123 in their two innings, with Alick Athanaze the only one to reach a half century.

“It was a difficult pitch to bat in the last game,” Brathwaite said.

“I would say you need to believe in your plan from ball one and not think of the third or fourth ball.”

Pakistan are eighth and the West Indies ninth and last on the World Test Championship table.

Another victory in Multan could see the hosts rise to seventh.

Pakistan were forced to make radical changes last year after losing the first of three Tests against England, their 11th straight home Test without a win.

The Aaqib-led selection panel dropped out-of-form batter Babar Azam and rested pace spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

The tactics worked on the spin-friendly pitches in Rawalpindi and Pakistan went on to win the series 2-1.

“If we had taken these decisions earlier we would have been in the race for World Test Championship final,” Aaqib said.