Misbah and co. considering possibility of playing two spinner in first Test

Pakistan cricket team head coach Misbah ul Haq has stated that the team management is considering to field to spinner in the first Test against England staring on Wednesday in Manchester.

The Men in Green will name the 16-member squad for the game tomorrow after having shortlisted 20 players for the series. The 20-player squad includes three spinners, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan and Kashif Bhatti.

“We will keep an eye on the pitch and the weather conditions, today and tomorrow, before taking a decision on whether to play two spinners or not,” said Misbah. “It is a possibility and an encouraging sign for us.”

“The pitch and weather conditions might be favouring us at the moment but you still have to execute your plans properly to win,” he added.

The head coach cum chief selector also satisfied with the preparation of the team despite the ongoing COVID-19. “Overall, I’m satisfied with the team’s preparations. We had to start from zero after being away from cricket for a period of three months [due to Covid-19],” he said.

“The team is in good shape and we are hopeful about putting up a good show in the upcoming series.”

The former captain also spoke about the inclusion of pacer Sohail Khan, who bagged two five-wicket hauls during intra-squad matches, in the lineup for the first Test.

“Sohail Khan performed really well in intra-squad matches but we will finalise our playing XI by looking at the conditions in Manchester and our opposition,” he said.