Pakistan retains spin-heavy team for third and final test against England’s cricketers

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan has retained its spin-heavy team for Thursday’s series-deciding third test against England as both sides anticipate another dry wicket that will suit the slow bowlers.

The groundsmen have been trying to dry out the track for the last four days, with the help of industrial-sized fans and outdoor heaters, to fulfil the wish of Pakistan skipper Shan Masood to nullify England’s aggressive batters.

Left-arm spinner Noman Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan claimed all 20 England wickets in the second test, on a recycled wicket in Multan, to level the series at 1-1.

England had won the series opener by an innings after it posted a record-breaking 823-7, with Harry Brook scoring a triple century and Joe Root making a career-best 262.

The third specialist slow bowler, leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood, bowled six wicketless overs in England’s first innings, and was not even required in the second innings as the visitors folded for 144 against Ali and Khan to lose the second test by 152 runs.

“It (the wicket) is very dry with not a lot of grass on it,” Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie said on Wednesday. “We probably expect it to favor the slower bowlers.”

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The toss could again play a vital role, with the spinners expected to dominate the batters as the game goes on.

“It (the toss) is a 50-50 call, you always want it to go your way,” Gillespie said. “Both teams will have that mindset but, yeah, we’ll see.”

The wicket has encouraged England to recall leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed as its third specialist slow option to go with Jack Leach’s left-arm spin and the off-spin of Shoaib Bashir.

“Who knows what’s going to happen?” said captain Ben Stokes after England’s last training session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

“It looks a very good wicket at the moment (but) with some cricket on it, it might change. We feel the longer it goes, more spin is going to come into play.”

Bashir has replaced Matthew Potts in the England team while Gus Atkinson, who was part of the memorable win by an innings and 47 runs in the first test, will replace rested fast bowler Brydon Carse.

Reverse swing with the old ball might be ineffective, with a greener square on both sides of the wicket.

“The square is very lush and green,” Stokes said. “It’s going to be hard to manufacture reverse swing. The longer the games goes on, the more spin is going to come in.”

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Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket