"Yasir Shah is not in any sort of rhythm or touch" - Inzamam Ul Haq is concerned about Pakistan's spin attack
Former Pakistan captain and selector Inzamam Ul Haq has opened up about his concern that the lack of wickets from the spinners is hurting Pakistan. Inzamam pointed out how Yasir Shah has been pivotal in Pakistan’s Test victories in the last five years, adding that his sudden dip in form has impacted the side adversely.
Inzamam Ul Haq was speaking after Pakistan’s defeat to West Indies at Sabina Park in the first Test of the series. Yasir Shah played the game as the lone spinner for Pakistan and went wicket-less in both innings.
The former Pakistani batter stated that Yasir Shah did not look in any sort of rhythm throughout the match.
“If I talk about a year or a year and a half, Yasir Shah was very successful in every Pakistan victory. In the last 4-5 years, in whichever Test that Pakistan have won, Yasir Shah was the Man of the Match. But Yasir Shah is not looking that effective currently. He is not looking in any sort of rhythm or touch,” Inzamam Ul Haq said in his YouTube channel The Match Winner.
The 51-year-old believes that the whole bowling unit will have issues if the spinners don’t take wickets in the middle.
“The one thing that is damaging Pakistan is that the spinners are not taking over (the game) as much as they used to do. If the spinners don’t take wickets in the middle, your bowlers won’t get rest and you won’t create pressure on the batsmen.”
"There are many players in the side who have only played T20 cricket" - Inzamam Ul Haq is not impressed with the selectors
Inzamam Ul Haq was critical of the Pakistan selectors as well, pointing out that there are some players in the Test side who have played only T20 cricket.
Even when the need arises, the coach will not be confident enough to call on the players from the bench due to their lack of experience, reckons Inzamam.
“There are many players in the side who have only played T20 cricket. They don’t have enough experience and they have got picked for the Test matches. The coach won’t be able to give chances to these players on the bench. Like fast bowler (Shahnawaz) Dahani, he has performed only in T20s so far.”
The former skipper wants players like Abdullah Shafique to be sent back to play first-class cricket and earn some valuable experience before being picked for the national side.
“Then there is Abdullah Shafique, who has not played cricket for long enough. There is no first-class experience. As a batsman, you need the experience to make runs. You are carrying him around for over a year now and keeping him on the bench. It is far better to select an experienced player in the squad and let him play first-class cricket,” Inzamam Ul Haq signed off.
Pakistan will play the second Test of the series against the West Indies at Sabina Park, Jamaica, starting on Friday. Some crucial World Test Championship points will be up for grabs for both sides.