The visitors made a strong comeback in the second Test to end the series 1-1 against West Indies
KARACHI:
KARACHI: Former Pakistan Test opener Sadiq Mohammad believes Pakistan should resist the temptation to make sweeping changes for the opening Test against England, saying confidence gained from the drawn series in the West Indies has left the visitors well placed to compete in English conditions.
With the three-match Test series set to begin in England in the coming days, Sadiq said the unusually warm weather could reduce the traditional advantage enjoyed by England’s seam bowlers.
“With such a hot weather in England, the pitches will play normally, like Pakistan,” Sadiq told The Express Tribune.
Sadiq said Pakistan’s batting unit should carry plenty of confidence following performances in the Caribbean.
“After good series in the West Indies, the Pakistani batsmen must be very confident,” he said. “They were in winning positions in both Tests, and then equalising the series must have given them a lot of confidence to do well in England.”
Sadiq urged the selectors to keep faith with the batting order that featured in the final Test against the West Indies, recommending only one change to the bowling attack.
“There should be only one change, and that is Mohammad Abbas coming in for one of the new seamers,” he said. “The batting line-up should remain the same as in the last Test in the West Indies.”
He said Azan should continue to open alongside Imam-ul-Haq, with Abdullah at number three and Babar Azam at four. Salman Ali Agha should bat at five, followed by Mohammad Rizwan at six and Sajid Khan at seven.
Sadiq also backed off-spinner Sajid Khan to play a pivotal role.
“Sajid Khan contributes with both bat and ball. In fact, he can put England in a lot of trouble,” he said.
The former Test opener believes Pakistan should bowl first if they win the toss, hoping to exploit any early assistance from a fresh surface.
“If Pakistan win the toss, they should field first and take advantage of the new hard pitch with the new ball,” Sadiq said. “England should not be allowed to score more than 225 in the first innings.”
He called for experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas to be used carefully while praising Mohammad Ali for his recent performances.
“Mohammad Abbas should be used sensibly,” Sadiq said. “Mohammad Ali has impressed me with his bowling line and pace. He should concentrate on the fourth-stump line and make sure he does not give batsmen any width to cut. His line and length should force them either to drive or defend.”
If Pakistan are asked to bat first, Sadiq said patience would be essential.
“They must make sure they bat until the third session on the second day and score at least 350,” he said. “That kind of total will put England into a defensive mindset. They will not play as freely if they are under scoreboard pressure.”
He stressed that the foundation of such an innings must be sound technique.
“Pakistan must play technically correct batting to pile up 350-plus,” he said. “Once a batsman is set, he should keep the scoreboard moving at around three runs an over.”
Sadiq also offered advice on how Pakistan’s batsmen should counter pronounced seam movement in English conditions.
“If the ball is seaming too much and beating the bat, then the batsmen should move about two feet outside the crease,” he said. “That will disturb the bowlers’ line and length and make it more difficult for them to settle.”
With Pakistan preparing for one of their toughest overseas assignments, Sadiq said continuity in selection, disciplined bowling and technically sound batting would be the keys to challenging England in their own conditions.
The first Test between the two nations will begin at Leeds from August 19. It will be followed by the second Test at Lord’s from August 27 with the third and final to commence at Birmingham from September 9.
