Defeat to England in the second test was very disappointing for Pakistan. I’ve previously discussed Pakistan’s shortcomings with the bat and unfortunately they were prevalent again at Old Trafford. The team failed miserably.
The batsmen should be taught to hit the ball in front of the wicket rather than slogging it behind. Alastair Cook and Joe Root showed them how it should be done, taking advantage of the wicket and turning the match in England’s favour. They are key players and their performance, technique and balance was a grim reminder that this is a Pakistani batting line-up that really, really needs to get its act together.
Not a single player could muster up a hundred, with the highest score Misbah-ul-Haq’s 52. There were meagre scores throughout the team and I think it’s high time that the players developed both their balance and shot selection. Key to this is that they learn the difference between pitches and how to adapt to them. Adaptability is an important quality for any sportsman and until the Pakistan players demonstrate this, I’m afraid that they will keep falling short against their opponents.
I feared that Jimmy Anderson’s return would help England and so it proved. Anderson and Ben Stokes played really well, while Chris Woakes was also impressive. He gave Pakistan a tough time in the first Test and was an even bigger threat in Manchester. He is a true seam bowler and Pakistan players seem to have no defence against the seaming ball. This is one of those gaping holes in the Pakistani skillset that I’m talking about – a lack of technique and balance that conspired to give England an advantage. It is about mindset too, the players must be fully focused and at the moment I don’t see that.
Professional @Saqlain_Mushtaq helped #EngvPak spinner but we lost the test match due to bad shot selection by our batsman
— Mohammad Yousaf (@yousaf1788) July 26, 2016
Pakistan’s bowling attack was equally deplorable, particularly the fast bowlers for whom it should have been a favourable wicket. Yasir Shah’s performance may not have been up to the same level this time around but I still believe he is a great player. England had been taken aback by Yasir’s bowling in the first Test, but they found a way around him in the second. His display was not down to pressure, but the pitch. At Lord’s, he was dealing with a wicket that was ideal for spinners. At Old Trafford, he needed the quicks to help him out but they weren’t there. It is shameful that they struggled given Pakistan are known for our fast bowlers.
Still, this loss does not diminish the fact that we have talented players in our squad. England made a lot of mistakes in the first Test but in Manchester they came back much stronger. The same should now apply to Pakistan. Ben Stokes may be absent for the third Test, which would be an advantage for Pakistan, but whether he plays or not they need to concentrate on working together so that they are prepared to take on any of the world’s best players. It is vital that the Pakistani players work hard now. Of course there needs to be some space for mistakes as that is how they will learn – just not so many in the third Test, please.
