Historically the surface of Rawalpindi has been much more friendly to runners than spinners
Pakistan head coach Misbah ul Haq has said he is willing to let go of spinners, despite their strong contribution to the team’s victory in the first Test against South Africa, if Rawalpindi park favors the fast archers. But at the same time, he said Pakistan was looking to prepare a drier surface than usual in Pindi, which would theoretically help the slowest archers.
In the last five years, runners have found much more enjoyment in Rawalpindi. They have averaged 21.40, picking up 498 wikis at the center in first-class cricket, with spinners relying on just 72 wikis at 34.18 with a strike rate of 67.50. The recent record raises questions about whether Pakistan can come in with the same spin-heavy strategy that impacted their Karachi win, where Nauman Ali and Yasir Shah came out. together to take 14 of South Africa’s 20 wicks.
This goes from the tactics Pakistan used against Bangladesh in Pindi last year, where Yasir was the only front-spinner alongside three nimble bowlers. In Karachi, the weather was drier and the men kept the ground covered to ensure that it retained some moisture, but nonetheless, 14 wikis fell on the first day. In Pindi, however, the colder weather means that the ground is exposed to the sun to allow the moisture to evaporate.
“The weather and the pitch are different from what we got in Karachi but we will get closer to the game,” Misbah said after the first day of a training session at Rawalpindi stadium. we are open to change if needed and it is not mandatory to play a spinner just because he did well in Karachi. If it is clear that the surface does not fit a spinner, we are ready to introduce a fast bow. “
“We are trying to get the most home advantage. Usually in first class cricket here (in Rawalpindi), this pitch is much greener and between games, there is not much time for drying as moisture stays in. But lately the pitch has gotten plenty of time with good sunlight and I hope it will be on the drier side just according to what we asked for. . “
Reflecting on the pressure he was under further scrutiny from the PCB cricket committee, Misbah added that he was not concerned. “No matter what was talked about around me by what the PCB thinks, I didn’t worry about it because the focus was always on the importance of this series. My energy was on how to we will get good results and how we can do well.thinking about unmanageable things is a waste of time and energy and lifting weights without doing any good.
“It was a much needed win in Karachi and the best part was the fight back from a difficult situation, which was unique. Now, we are defending against being somber. the conditions seem to be different but we need to continue with all the good things we did in the first Test and look out for the areas where we can make progress. South Africa are a tough team and will come hard with full preparation to square the league but we have to be ready and go full throttle to win the series. “
Umar Farooq is a Pakistani journalist at ESPNcricinfo