Former captain says Pakistan still in search of winning formula

After Pakistan’s plan of creating a spinner-friendly pitch failed in the first Test against England, former coach Mohammad Hafeez said on Tuesday Pakistan management hoped the pitch being used for the second time in a row would turn out to be square turner now.

In a social media post, the former skipper said the Men in Green were looking for a winning formula by playing four spinners on a used pitch.

“Team Pakistan still in search of winning formula at home. Playing test match on previously used pitch. Playing with 4 spinners team management fancy their hopes for square turner. Hoping this plan work in favour of Pakistan,” he wrote on his X account.

A square turner in cricket is the pitch that helps ball produce a great deal of spin with turn.

The former cricketer shared list of the Pakistan playing XI for the second Test as well.

Pakistan cricket team’s assistant coach, Azhar Mahmood a day ago said they were hoping the pitch to produce turn on the second day of the first Test match but the ball did not become spin-friendly until the fifth day.

Now, he believes the “ninth-day” pitch will definitely produce spin.

Pakistan had suffered a rather embarrassing defeat by an innings and 47 runs at the hands of the visitors in the first Test.

Following which Pakistan made changes to its 16-member squad by giving rest to senior players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Sarfaraz Ahmed. They have been replaced by young bloods.

The second Test is being played today at the Multan Cricket Stadium, same as the first match, whereas the third and last match of the series will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 24.

The English team will be led by their skipper Ben Stokes, who is making a comeback, following a hamstring injury. The all-rounder missed the entire five-day first Test due to being unfit.

Pakistan Playing XI

Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood.

England Playing XI

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matt Potts, Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir.