Pakistan ring in the changes for second test against England
Smarting from a humiliating defeat in the opening test of the four match series at Trent Bridge Nottingham, Pakistan has vowed to make a strong comeback as they ring in the changes to their team on the eve of the second test match that starts at Edgbaston, Birmingham today.
The tourists are set to drop wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, leg-spinner Danesh Kaneria and batsman Umar Amin from the team that endured a 354-run mauling at Trent Bridge.
The trio would be replaced by Zulqarnain Haider, Saeed Ajmal and either of Yasir Hameed or Mohammad Yousuf respectively.
Mohammad Yousuf, the veteran batsman who arrived in England only yesterday to bolster the squad, might not make it to the starting eleven. Reason being that the master player is suffering from jet lag and lack of practice after he called it quits earlier in the year following the disastrous tour of Australia where the 88 test veteran was the captain.
If Yousuf is ruled out, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yasir-Hameed-c2811 is all set to take the place of left-hander Umar Amin who has thus far failed to make use of his talent in the first three test matches of his career, and had a horrible time in the Trent Bridge test failing for single figures in both innings.
Another major decision is the axing of wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal who also had a miserable game with both bat and gloves at Trent Bridge.
The older of the two Akmal’s missed at least four chances in two innings, besides having a howler with the bat.
His technique has been found wanting in all three test matches that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 has played on their tour of England thus far - the first two were matches against Australia followed by the drubbing in Nottingham.
He will be replaced by 24-year-old wicket-keeper batsman Zulqarnain Haider who hails from Lahore, and is touted as one for the future.
The right-hander has already featured in a T20 game against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 played at the Wanderers some three years ago.
The third change to the team is the replacement of leg-spinner Danesh Kaneria with off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.
Kaneria was left out of the squad after a dismal performance in Nottingham where the experienced spinner claimed a solitary wicket for 171 runs in only 33 overs, on a wicket that was offering some turn.
Despite the plethora of changes in the team, the Pakistani fans are not sure as to how their team would perform, especially the batsmen who found the English bowlers too hot to handle in the first test.
The inexperienced batting line-up succumbed tamely in the second innings, collapsing for 80 all out when set a huge fourth innings target of 435.
However, they can take heart from the fact that they clawed back in the series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 manfully after losing the first test at Lord by 150 runs.
They succeeded in rolling the Aussies for only 88 runs in the first innings of the second test at Headingley and eventually prevailed in tense circumstances on the fourth morning of the test by recording a three-wicket win.
They need similar inspiration in the Edgbaston test, and for that, they need support from their fragile batting line-up that needs to be handled with extreme care and caution if they are to turn the tables on a rampant English team.
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