Pakistan aim to build on Dubai draw
Buoyant by the draw against all odds at Dubai the Pakistanis are hoping to go one step ahead and win the second Test against the South Africans set to start at the Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Pakistan would be forced to make at least one change to the team that played in Dubai as fast bowler Wahab Riaz has been ruled out of the second Test due to a side strain.
Wahab suffered the injury on the morning of the second day after being forced to bowl a long spell on the opening day of the Test as the Proteas amassed 311/3.
The left armer claimed two wickets during the day; he was also impressive in the ODI series that preceded the Test matches. Many experts of the game believe that he would have been the ideal foil to Umar Gul and would have garnered better results in the
second Test match on the more bouncy Zayed stadium wicket at Abu Dhabi.
Team sources have revealed that experienced pacer Mohammad Sami, who is a part of the squad, would take his place in the playing eleven. The 29 year old has had a lean trot in the Test match arena and averages a costly 50.73 runs per wicket in his 34 Tests
with a haul of 84 wickets.
He made a comeback to the national team in the Sydney Test in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s first Test match of the year, yet was left out of the team despite an impressive performance in the first innings.
He snared three top order Australian wickets and had a regulation catch dropped by Kamran Akmal in the second innings.
He was selected for Pakistan’s T20 World Championship team that qualified for the semi-final, the right arm pace man was impressive in patches during the tournament yet failed to hold onto his place.
His inclusion means that Karachi’s Tanvir Ahmed, who has been on the sidelines since the tour of England is set to miss another Test match.
The pacer, who claimed as many as 87 wickets in the local first class competition the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, has been desperately unlucky to miss out on selection.
During the tour to England Wahab Riaz was preferred to him when Umar Gul broke out during the second Test at Edgbaston, and now when Wahab is injured Sami lands into the playing eleven.
One wonders what Tanvir needs to do to wear Pakistan’s colours. On the other hand the South Africans are set to retain the same eleven for the second Test.
There are hardly any concerns for Graeme Smith at the moment, his squad has a settled look to it especially the batting department.
Three of the South Africans posted hundreds in the Dubai Test match including Smith himself, who has the honour of scoring the first ever ton, at the venue.
Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis were the other two. The batsmen must be l*****g their lips as they assess the Abu Dhabi wicket which is set to be another batting paradise.
The Pakistanis would have to do the running and their bowling attack is likely to be under intense pressure in the absence of three frontline pacers Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer and Wahab Riaz.
The spin department is also depleted by the lack of success of Saeed Ajmal, who was taken for a lot of runs in the Dubai Test, and is guilty of bowling his doosra much more than needed.
All in all, the Test would provide some enthralling cricket especially if the Pakistanis bring their A game to the table and exert pressure on the opposition early on.
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