Pakistan vs WI, 2nd Test: Hosts aim for series sweep
What's the story
Pakistan are preparing for the second Test against West Indies in Multan, looking to complete a series sweep.
The team's head coach, Aaqib Javed, has defended their spin-heavy strategy despite criticism from former players and analysts.
The strategy helped Pakistan win by 127 runs in three days in the first Test.
Spinners Sajid Khan (9 wickets), Noman Ali (6 wickets), and Abrar Ahmed (5 wickets) were instrumental in the win.
Here are the details.
Match summary
Spinners dominated the opening Test
The opening Test was a spinners' delight, with 34 out of 40 wickets falling to them.
West Indies's left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican also shone with a career-best seven for 32.
The second Test will be played on a dry and grassless pitch in Multan, conditions which are expected to favor spin bowling yet again.
Coach's defense
Aaqib Javed defends Pakistan's spin strategy
Defending Pakistan's spin strategy, Javed said it will remain the same in the second Test.
He said, "We found that the West Indies have a weakness in dealing with the spin bowling, so we exploited that and will do that again."
This comes despite former players and analysts fearing Pakistan will struggle on away tours where pitches won't support spinners.
Captain's perspective
Brathwaite accepts Pakistan's home advantage
West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite has acknowledged Pakistan's home advantage and their right to utilize spinning pitches.
He said, "Pakistan are playing at home and if they believe spinning pitches are their strength then that's fine and that's how cricket is played."
However, he also noted the challenging conditions of the pitch in the first Test which had cracks from day one.
Team updates
Team changes and strategies for the 2nd Test
For the next match, West Indies will miss the services of pace bowler Jayden Seales, who has been ruled out due to injury. He will be replaced by experienced player Kemar Roach.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is unlikely to tinker with their winning combination from the first Test.
Brathwaite has urged his batters to have more faith after a dismal outing in the first Test, where they could only manage 137 and 123 in their two innings.
Information
Player focus: Saud Shakeel averages 52-plus in Tests
Saud Shakeel scored 84 and two runs in the first Test. In 18 matches, the talented batter has amassed 1,163 runs at 52.03. In addition to 9 fifties, he has slammed 4 tons.
Rankings
Pakistan's position in the World Test Championship
Currently, Pakistan are placed eighth and West Indies ninth on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table. A win in Multan could see Pakistan jump to seventh.
This comes after a string of changes last year after losing the first of three Tests against England.
The selection panel headed by Aaqib dropped out-of-form batter Babar Azam and rested pace spearheads Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, which paid off on spin-friendly tracks in Rawalpindi as they won the series 2-1.