England coach Trevor Bayliss has said it’s possible the team could field two specialist spinners at home after Yorkshire leg-break bowler Adil Rashid was called into the squad for the second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford.
Joining Rashid in an unusually large 14-man party were the fit-again duo of James Anderson and all-rounder Ben Stokes, with England looking to bounce back after last week’s 75-run defeat by Pakistan in the first Test at Lord’s.
Anderson and Stokes have been proving their fitness following respective shoulder and knee injuries in the county championship match between Lancashire and Durham.
The more intriguing selection was that of Rashid, all of whose three Test appearances to date came in ‘spin-friendly’ conditions against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates last year.
