All eyes on Yasir as Pakistan eye 2-0 lead

Tourists reject fears surrounding leggie’s fitness,announce unchanged squad for Old Trafford Test

KARACHI: In an unchanged line-up, leggie Yasir Shah is once again expected to play the lead role as Pakistan look to gain an unassailable lead in their four-Test series against England by winning the second match that gets underway at Old Trafford from Friday (today).

Pakistan played down fears about Yasir’s fitness on Thursday announcing that they would retain the same 12-man side that helped them beat England by 75 runs at Lord’s last week.

On Wednesday, reports coming from Manchester suggested that Pakistan were sweating on the fitness of their main match-winner – Yasir – after the spinner was hit on his left shoulder while batting in the nets.

However, a Pakistan team official told ‘The News’ from Manchester that “Yasir was fully fit and was once again raring to have a go at England tomorrow at Old Trafford”.

“Yasir did receive a hit on his left shoulder while batting in the nets and as a precautionary measure the team management decided to send him for a scan,” the official said.

“The reports are fine and we are all hoping that Yasir will carry on from where he left at Lord’s,” he added.

Yasir, who rose to number one position in the Test rankings following his match-winning ten-wicket haul at Lord’s, bowled extensively during a nets session on Thursday.

According to a team official, Yasir bowled with his usual energy and showed no signs of pain.

“He is a 100 percent fit and that’s good news for Pakistan,” the official said.

Later on Thursday, Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq also played down fears about Yasir’s injury.

“It was a concern but he is okay. Yesterday was a wakeup call for Yasir but he is ok and the scan was only precautionary.”

According to reports, Yasir fell on the pitch after being hit on his left shoulder by a delivery from one of Pakistan’s fast bowlers. He was helped up by Wahab Riaz and was attended to by the team’s doctor. Later he returned to the dressing room and took no further part in the training session on Wednesday.

However, following treatment and an overnight rest, Yasir has fully recovered from the blow.

Pakistan are hoping that he repeats his Lord’s heroics at Old Trafford where England have not lost a Test since falling to the Pakistanis in 2001. When the two sides last met at the historic ground in 2006, England hammered Pakistan by an innings and 120 runs within a span of three days.

While the momentum is with Pakistan, England will be buoyed up by the fact that their chief wicket-taker Jimmy Anderson will return to the playing eleven. The pacer, who missed the series opener at Lord’s because of fitness issues, averages 17.06 against Pakistan – the best any bowler with at least 40 wickets has averaged against them.

But such is the morale of the Pakistan team since winning the Lord’s Test that even Anderson’s return doesn’t bother them much.

“We are confident that the Old Trafford wicket and the conditions will favour our bowlers more and that is one reason why our team is looking to make it 2-0 here,” a team official told ‘The News’.

It was a bit humid in Manchester on Thursday and according to the weather forecast, there was a chance of rain on Friday.