Pakistan ready to pick an extra seamer if necessary

While Pakistan have a strong spin bowling attack, head coach Misbah-ul-Haq revealed they will not hesitate to drop one for an extra seamer if the conditions in Rawalpindi call for such a move.

Pakistan still expect to need their spinners

That being said, Misbah believes the pitch will be on the dry side which would end up giving more assistance to the spinners.

“One day before the Test or the morning of the match, based on those conditions… we will take the decision. It isn’t necessary that if there isn’t much help for a particular bowler, one has to go with him… we are ready. If it is obvious that we need to add a fast bowler, we will add,” Misbah said at a press conference.

“We have tried to keep the home advantage, for the pitch to be a bit dry, normally the conditions what we see in first-class cricket… obviously the pitch would be more green, moisture also would be more. Hopefully, the pitch would be on the drier side, a bit different… hopefully it would be like what we like…let’s see… we would get to know better on the last day (before the Test),” he added.

Hasan Ali set to shine

Misbah is also confident Hasan Ali will bounce back strongly in the second Test after he failed to impress in the first game against South Africa.

“In my opinion, Hasan has bowled well throughout the season, a little bit of margin you have to give because when you’re making a comeback after long, you might get a bit ambitious and try to do something too soon,” he said.

“Hasan as a whole package, the edge that he gives to the team… the run out he made (Temba Bavuma’s run out) in the first innings, his batting, his bowling also he proved… with the old ball, with the new ball… leading wicket-taker as a pacer in the season (first-class cricket). With time, he will get better.”

Back to winning ways

The head coach was delighted to get back to winning ways after a difficult time in New Zealand prior to the victory over the Proteas.

“It was a much needed win. The best thing was the way the team fought back from a difficult situation. It was a great performance,” he added.

“We hope that we don’t get complacent (ahead of the second Test)… the conditions could be different, wherever we performed well (in the first Test), we hope to continue, and wherever we have to improve, to look at it because the South African team is a tough team, and they will try to level the series. We should prepare well and try to win the series.”