Pakistan’s Azhar Mahmood Explains No Spinners on Day Three Against Bangladesh
Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood revealed that spinners were not used on day three of the first Test match against Bangladesh because there was grass on the pitch at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. During Bangladesh’s first inning on day three, Khurram Shahzad led the Pakistan bowling attack after he picked up two wickets. Naseem Shah and Saim Ayub also took one wicket each in their respective spells.
Speaking at the post-day press conference, Mahmood said, “The reason we didn’t play a spinner was there was grass on the pitch and we thought it would favour the seamers. We were hoping for that. But the three hours the pitch was sunned before the game started on the first day may have made a difference. The wicket dried out; we didn’t think it would dry out so quickly, and that made it play differently.”
He added that the batters had a greater chance of making mistakes when the wicket had pace, bounce, or sharp spin. “The combination we made required a pitch with pace and bounce, and for that wicket to play like we expected. But that didn’t happen. When the wicket has pace and bounce or sharp spin, there’s a greater chance of the batters making mistakes. When the pitch is slow, the batters have extra time,” he added.
In the match, Bangladesh won the toss and put Pakistan to bat first. After Pakistan struggled at 16/3 with the loss of their top order, including skipper Babar Azam for a duck, Saim Ayub (56 in 98 balls, with four boundaries and a six) provided support to Shakeel in bringing Pakistan back on track with a 98-run partnership. Then a 240-run partnership with Mohammed Rizwan (171* in 239 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes) and a cameo from Shaheen Shah Afridi (29* in 24 balls, with a four and two sixes) took Pakistan to a big score of 448/6. Hasan Mahmud (2/70) and Shoriful Islam (2/77) were the top bowlers for Bangladesh. Bangladesh ended day three at 316/5, with Mushfiqur Rahim (55*) and Litton Das (52*) still on the crease.
Doubts Revealed
Azhar Mahmood -: Azhar Mahmood is a former Pakistani cricketer who is now working as an assistant coach for the Pakistan cricket team.
Spinners -: Spinners are types of bowlers in cricket who bowl the ball slowly and make it spin, making it difficult for the batsman to hit.
Grass on the pitch -: Grass on the pitch means that the cricket field has more grass, which can make the ball move differently and is usually better for fast bowlers.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium -: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is a famous cricket ground in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, where international cricket matches are played.
Khurram Shahzad -: Khurram Shahzad is a Pakistani cricketer who was leading the bowling attack in the match against Bangladesh.
Naseem Shah -: Naseem Shah is a young and talented fast bowler from Pakistan who took wickets in the match.
Saim Ayub -: Saim Ayub is a Pakistani cricketer who contributed both in batting and bowling in the match.
Mohammed Rizwan -: Mohammed Rizwan is a Pakistani cricketer known for his batting and wicket-keeping skills.
Shaheen Shah Afridi -: Shaheen Shah Afridi is a Pakistani fast bowler who is known for his ability to take wickets quickly.
Mushfiqur Rahim -: Mushfiqur Rahim is a Bangladeshi cricketer who is known for his batting and wicket-keeping.
Litton Das -: Litton Das is a Bangladeshi cricketer who is known for his batting skills.