Cricket experts have advised Bangladesh to focus on securing a positive result in the crucial second Test against Pakistan, rather than being overly concerned with the opposition's squad changes. The Tigers delivered a resounding 10-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first Test, prompting the hosts to make several adjustments to their lineup for the second match.
Pakistan, who fielded four seamers and no specialist spinner in Rawalpindi, have now included the in-form leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, along with uncapped all-rounder Kamran Ghulam and pacer Aamir Jamal, for the second Test.
Abrar's inclusion was anticipated, given that Bangladeshi spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan Miraz took seven wickets between them to secure a historic win for the visitors. The 25-year-old Abrar, who has made an impressive start to his Test career with 38 wickets in six matches, recently excelled against Bangladesh 'A' in a four-day game, claiming 4-103. Pakistan will be hoping for a similar performance from him in this pivotal Test.
"Regardless of who is included, our focus should be on achieving a positive result. In the past, we have won the first Tests against teams like Australia and New Zealand but failed to even draw the second Tests," local coach Wahidul Gani remarked on Wednesday.
"We performed well against Pakistan, but our progress will be evident if we can at least draw the second match. They will undoubtedly select a spinner, and Abrar is likely their best option at the moment.
"They will also rely on their pacers, but we must play to our strengths. Bangladesh should approach this match with the intention of winning," the veteran coach added.
In recent times, Bangladeshi batsmen have not faced significant challenges from leg-spinners in red-ball cricket, and the presence of a leg-spinner could pose a concern for the visitors.
The last time Bangladesh encountered a genuine leg-spinner was 22 Tests ago in 2021, during a two-match series in Sri Lanka, where they faced Wanindu Hasaranga in the opening Test in Pallekele.
Recently, Bangladesh has only faced Chinaman spinners like Afghanistan's Zahir Khan (in 2023) and India's Kuldeep Yadav (in 2022) in red-ball cricket, both of whom enjoyed success against Bangladeshi batsmen.
"Playing with a leg-spinner in Tests is quite common for Pakistan. Leggies like Yasir Shah and Danish Kaneria have represented them over the years," said coach Sohel Islam, who oversaw some of the Test cricketers in the Bangladesh Tigers camp before their departure for Pakistan.
"They made an error by not including a spinner in the first Test. Abrar was initially in the squad but was later dropped. He excels in red-ball cricket. We have faced leg-spinners in red-ball cricket before and prepared accordingly. Let's see how our batsmen handle him this time," he concluded.
