Taking lessons from the strategic blunder which cost them the first Test in Rawalpindi, Pakistan have recalled their mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed to the squad ahead of the second Test.
Abrar, who is primarily a leg-spinner has rejoined the squad alongside top-order batter Kamran Ghulam. Notably, the two players were released from the squad before the start of the first Test to represent Pakistan A or Pakistan Shaheens in a four-day game against Bangladesh ‘A’ at the Islamabad Club from 20 to 23 August.
Shaheen Shah Afridi and allrounder Aamer Jamal have also rejoined the squad ahead of the second Test in Rawalpindi.
While Jamal was released from the squad to report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore and work on his fitness, Shaheen left the side to meet his son who was born during the Rawalpindi Test match.
The move has come after the humiliating ten-wicket loss to Bangladesh in the first Test. The Pakistan team management decided not to field a specialist spinner in the first Test after analysing the surface and largely stood by the decision even after the loss.
The wicket at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium provided plenty of turn on day five as Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4/21) and Shakib Al Hasan (3/44) accounted for seven out of the 10 Pakistani wickets.
"Firstly, looking at the pitch, we expected the pitch to do a bit more," said Shan Masood after the end of the Test match. "Secondly, I thought with three fast Bowlers. Uh, you were going to be pushing them to the limit and that would mean that the spinner would also have to operate at around 25 to 30 overs a day. So that was something we were trying to avoid."
"If you bring the spinners into play that was day five again, we thought that with the weather, it might not even last five days completely. And again, I think at the end of the day, we got it wrong and, and we just have to work our way around it now," he added.
Pakistan squad for second Test against Bangladesh:
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abrar Ahmed, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi
