Pakistan have no idea what they are doing: Qadir

Legendary spinner says team failed to capitalise on opponent’s weakness

KARACHI: Legendary Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir believes Pakistan lack proper planning after the visitors failed to capitalise on a promising start to allow West Indies back into the game on the first day of the first Test on Friday.

Pakistan reduced West Indies to 71-5 at one point but half-centuries by Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich engineered a West Indies revival in reaching 244 for seven at stumps and Qadir believes Pakistan paid the price of poor planning.

“Pakistan have always showed unpredictability and are doing the same in this match too; they have no idea what they are doing,” Qadir told The Express Tribune. “It seems like they haven’t done their homework in identifying the weaknesses of the opponent’s team.”

He further said that West Indies have always struggled against Pakistan spinners but the management did not keep this aspect in mind before naming the line-up which included three pacers.

“No matter which spinner Pakistan has, West Indies have always struggled against them. Yet despite knowing this, the management included so many pacers in the team,” he said.

Meanwhile, Qadir was not impressed by what ace spinner Yasir Shah produced on the first day. “I cannot understand why Yasir was waiting for a loose shot to be caught in the field when the pitch is offering so much spin. It seems as if he does not know how to set the field for his bowling,” he said.

Qadir further said that more spinners should have been included in the team. “If Shadab Khan, Muhammad Asghar and Muhammad Nawaz were playing on the first day, the West Indies could not have gone past the 200-run mark. But the management opted to field so many pacers and that decision baffles me,” he said.

“The management should see the strength of the team and weakness of opponents then should form a team accordingly otherwise they will keep up their unpredictability alive, they should go for winning the series instead of testing the players” he said.