#360view: Absence of Yasir and Azhar unlikely to turn the series in England’s favour

Joy Chakravarty 10:19 13/10/2015
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  • Yasir Shah will miss the first Test in Abu Dhabi through injury.

    Apall of gloom seemed to have descended over the Pakistan team, the moment Yasir Shah tripped over and hurt his back while bowling at the nets yesterday.

    The 29-year-old leg-spinner has only recently cemented his place in the national side, having spent most of his early career in the shadow of Saeed Ajmal.

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    But once the off-spinner lost his sting after having to change his bowling action that was deemed illegal by the ICC, Shah grasped his chance with both hands and has become Pakistan’s biggest weapon, especially on the sub continent and similar conditions in the UAE.

    There are two big reasons why Shah’s absence could make a vital difference to the fortunes of this Pakistan team over the next three weeks of the Test series.

    One, he has been bowling bril- liantly, highlighted by his performance in Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka in June and July this year where he took 24 wickets.

    The pitches were responsive to a bowler like him, but Sri Lankans have been brought up on a staple diet of spin. And yet, Shah’s guile and his ability to relentlessly flight the ball and be aggressive, helped him take a six-wicket and a seven- wicket haul during the series.

    And secondly, Shah is a bit of a novelty for the England batsmen, with their own anxietites about spin going into this series, as they are yet to face him in a Test match.

    But it’s not just Shah, Pakistan have also lost one of their most dependable batsmen – Azhar Ali. It has been a double blow for them because Azhar seems to flower in the desert.

    He was a massive pain in England’s side in 2012, having played a big role in their wins in the second and third Tests, which included a knock of 157 in Dubai in the second innings after Pakistan were shot out for 99 in the first.

    However, for Pakistan, it is a case of been there and done that. If there is one team that can escape from such hammer blows and still emerge stronger, it is captain Misbah-ul Haq and his men.

    Not too long ago, against Aus- tralia in their two-Test series last November, they faced a similar situation. In fact, at that time, it looked much worse.

    Ajmal was serving his ban and then, on the eve of the first Test match, Pakistan lost both their leading fast bowlers – Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan.

    And yet, with one of the most inexperienced bowling attacks ever to don Pakistan colours, fast bowlers Rahat Ali and Imran Khan and spinners Shah and Zulfiqar Babar helped their team win both the Test matches – by stunning margins of 221 and 356 runs.

    What should give Pakistan heart is the fact that even in the absence of Shah, they have better spinners than England, and Alastair Cook and his men still have trouble reading the turning delivery.

    Even in the recent Ashes, which was always going to be decided by the pace bowlers given the English conditions, off-spinner Nathan Lyon collected 16 wickets.

    Also, Pakistan’s batsmen are much better accustomed to the conditions here. If they show some patience and last a day and two sessions in any one innings, Eng- land will be left with a mountain to climb to get back into the match.

    Even if Shah misses the first Test, Pakistan will enjoy a slight advantage, thanks to their tenacity and local knowledge.

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