Shoaib unimpressed by same old Pakistan failings

Says team has learnt nothing from first Test and are making similar mistakes

KARACHI: Pakistan once again failed to capitalise on a strong start when they allowed West Indies to reach 286-6 at stumps on the first day of the second Test courtesy a brilliant century from Roston Chase, and former cricketer Shoaib Muhammad feels the visitors have not learnt from their mistakes of the first Test.

“Pakistan had a good start on the opening day of their second Test but once again allowed West Indies a way back in,” Shoaib told The Express Tribune. “In the evening session, Pakistani bowlers looked like they were waiting for the wickets to fall on their own instead of proactively hunting for it.”

The 56-year-old feels that the visitors should have bowled better and should have tried different variations to dismiss Jason Holder and Chase.

Pakistan rout West Indies in first Test

“If the wickets stopped falling and the host were playing easily then the spinners should have tried different variations but they didn’t and instead were hoping for the wicket to come to them,” he said. “You don’t just wait for a wicket; you have to utilise different plans to obtain them.”

Chase and Holder came in after the hosts lost their openers, Kraigge Brathwaite and Keiran Powell, in quick succession to Muhammad Amir and Muhammad Abbas.

Abbas then combined with Yasir Shah and Shadab Khan to reduce the hosts to 107-5. But after that, Chase and Holder got their side back in the game with a brilliant 132-run stand.

Shoaib further said that Yasir should have been used as an attacking weapon as his current role, where he is used by the team as a defensive tool, is clearly not the way to go. “Yasir was absent in the final session and Shadab was not able to control the game. He certainly tried a lot but he was unable to bring consistency to his game,” he said.

“Chase and Holder, meanwhile, played wisely and did not play any rash shots. They waited for the Pakistani bowlers to tire and hit them when they lost some of their focus,” he added.

Shoaib also said that the pitch favours spin-bowling and so if Plan A doesn't work Pakistani spinners should change up their tactics.

“What Pakistan could not have known was that Chase and Holder would put up such a strong partnership in the final session. But once they saw them settling in, Pakistan bowlers, especially the spinners, should have used different tactics to control them,” he said.

He further added, “There are times when a bowler isn’t bowling at his usual level but that doesn’t mean you stop believing in him. Yasir and Shadab have the ability to do great things and should be utilised in a more attacking way rather than the way the team management is currently using them. They should be given more confidence.”