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Friday March 29, 2024

Misbah, Younis bolster Pakistan as Bangladesh eye another first

KHULNA, Bangladesh: Pakistan hope the return of skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and experienced batsman Younis Khan will help them bounce back on the miserable tour of Bangladesh when a two-Test series opens here on Tuesday (today).The tour has been a nightmare for the Pakistanis so far, with a 3-0 whitewash in the

By our correspondents
April 28, 2015
KHULNA, Bangladesh: Pakistan hope the return of skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and experienced batsman Younis Khan will help them bounce back on the miserable tour of Bangladesh when a two-Test series opens here on Tuesday (today).
The tour has been a nightmare for the Pakistanis so far, with a 3-0 whitewash in the one-day series being followed by their first-ever defeat to Bangladesh in a Twenty20 International.
The two senior players were not part of the limited-overs squad with Misbah, who turns 41 next month, having quit one-day cricket after the World Cup and Younis, 37, not selected.
Younis is only 506 runs away from overtaking Javed Miandad’s tally of 8,832 runs as Pakistan’s leading Test scorer and holds the Pakistan record of 28 Test centuries.
“They are very experienced and Pakistan has usually done well when they are around,” said 19-year-old batsman Sami Aslam.“Both are world-class players and they are sure to make the difference in the series.”
Pakistan, who fielded a new-look side in the one-day series retaining just four of the squad who played in the World Cup, have selected nearly the same Test squad that beat Australia 2-0 and drew with New Zealand 1-1 in the United Arab Emirates before the World Cup.
Ranked only eighth in one-day cricket, Misbah’s squad are fourth behind South Africa, Australia and England in the Test standings.
“Tests are entirely different and I am pretty confident my team will do better in this format,” said Aslam, who could make his Test debut after making a fluent 45 on his one-day debut last week.
A confident Bangladesh are looking to improve their underwhelming Test record, having won just seven and lost 70 of their 88 matches since being granted full status in 2000.
Of the seven wins, five came against fellow Test minnows Zimbabwe and two against an under-strength West Indies side in 2009.
Bangladesh have lost all eight Tests against Pakistan, but leading all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan hoped the confidence gained from the limited-overs wins would ensure a better showing.
“I think this will be a good series if we can show the same level of play and confidence,” Shakib told reporters in Khulna.
“If Pakistan have an experienced batting line-up, we too have a number of batsmen in form. And we have a better bowling attack and the fielding too is good. This will be a tight series.”
Wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim returns to lead the Test side in place of limited-overs captain Mashrafe Mortaza.
An 8-0 streak, stretching back 14 years, for Pakistan over Bangladesh in Test cricket is now under legitimate threat after the hosts won the ODI series 3-0 and the lone T20 in Mirpur.
Pakistan’s seam attack consists of Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan. Both have been off colour in Bangladesh. Saeed Ajmal too hasn’t had a good return to international cricket. So Pakistan could prefer a second spinner who can contain like Zulfiqar Babar rather than Yasir Shah, who missed the ODIs with injury but has since been bowling in the nets. The Khulna pitch turns from any point after the third day, so Ajmal will be more influential as the match progresses.
Similarly, Bangladesh will expect Shakib Al Hasan to find his rhythm in the longer format, with Jubair Hossain and Taijul Islam for assistance. Their major concern will be the pace attack, which looks thin on threat and experience. Rubel Hossain and Shahadat Hossain have been around for a number of years, but have never come of age in Test cricket.
Spin has been king at the Sheikh Abu Nasir Stadium, unless someone with high pace creates enough chances. Batting will get progressively harder. There are chances of rain in the forecast for the first four days as well.