MULTAN: Pakistan interim head coach Aqib Javed on Friday defended the formula of using spin-friendly pitches in the home series ahead of the second Test against West Indies, starting here tomorrow.
Pakistan won the first Test before tea on the third day as spinners Sajid Khan grabbed 5-50 and Abrar Ahmed finished with 4-27 to dismiss the West Indies for 123 after setting a 251-run target.
The Test lasted fewer than eight sessions on a dry and grassless Multan Stadium pitch, with spinners taking 34 of the 40 wickets to fall.
Pakistan bowled just one over of pace in the match, which resulted in criticism over the strategy to make spin-friendly pitches.
Nevertheless, Aqib Javed defended the approach of creating spin-friendly pitches, highlighting the significance of leveraging home advantage for victory.
“I’ve been hearing a lot, and people are commenting on where our Test cricket is heading,” said Aqib during a press conference. “If these decisions had been made earlier in Test cricket, we might have been in the race for the WTC final.”
The former pacer also highlighted pace-friendly pitches in countries outside Asia, where conditions are challenging for batters.
“We played in South Africa and didn’t field a spinner there due to the conditions. Similarly, pitches in Australia and England favor pace bowlers,” he stated.
“Every country prepares pitches according to their advantage to win matches. I don’t understand the problem with spin-friendly wickets.
“If pace bowlers take wickets, people say cricket is progressing, but if spinners take wickets, they say cricket is going backwards. I don’t understand this.”
Pakistan squad for the West Indies Tests
Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, and Salman Ali Agha.
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