England recall Anderson, Stokes
Hosts turn to Saqlain to help solve spin problem
AFP
AFP, MANCHESTER: England captain Alastair Cook announced Thursday that the hosts had reduced their squad for the second Test against Pakistan from 14 to 12 after dropping Steven Finn and Jake Ball.
The fast bowlers, who both played in Englands 75-run defeat by Pakistan in the first Test at Lords, were released ahead of the second Test, which starts at Old Trafford on Friday.
Now fit-again fast bowler James Anderson (shoulder) and all-rounder Ben Stokes (knee), who both didnt play at Lords, are set to make their Test return in Manchester.
Englands decision means they could give a home debut to leg-spinner Adil Rashid, all of whose three Test appearances to date were away to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates last year.
Were going to name a 12 -- Steven Finn and Bally are missing out, Cook told reporters at Old Trafford on Thursday.
That means, obviously, Ben Stokes and Jimmy Anderson are back in - and Adils going to be in the 12, just depending on what happens to that wicket by tomorrow (Friday).
Alastair Cooks men suffered a 75-run defeat inside four days in last weeks first Test at Lords, with Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah taking 10 wickets.
Now England will hope to play Shah better at Old Trafford, where the pitch is likely to offer more turn.
They also have to decide whether to give a home debut to leg-spinner Adil Rashid, either in support of, or as a replacement for, Moeen Ali.
Not only was off-spinner Ali, who has spent the bulk of his career as a top-order batsman, out-bowled by Shah at Lords, he also fell to him in the second innings when recklessly charging down the pitch.
England have now called in former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq as a coaching consultant at Old Trafford.
While they will hope he can advise Ali and Rashid, his greatest short-term benefit may lie in tips about how to play spin.
England have been without a specialist spin coach since former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, now in the tourists camp, returned home in 2014.
Meanwhile Stokes was looking forward to working with Saqlain, who took four for 74 when Pakistan beat England by 108 runs in the second Test at Old Trafford in 2001.
So keen are England to play positive cricket that several batsmen gave their wickets away at Lords.
Stokes hinted at a more refined approach by saying: Old Trafford is known to spin, and obviously thats going to favour (Shah).
As England, who also have question marks over top order batsman James Vince, ponder their options, it looks as if Pakistan will field the same side, although openers Mohammad Hafeez and Shan Masood may be looking over their shoulders after poor returns at Lords.
Having come through all the hype surrounding Mohammad Amirs return to Test cricket for the first time since his 2010 spot-fixing crime at Lords, they gave fans at the home of cricket much else to talk about last week.
Misbah-ul-Haq marked his first Test at Lords with a fine hundred which saw the 42-year-old perform a series of press-ups in celebration.
