Aqib Javed has revealed the secret ingredient that helped Pakistan beat England in the recently concluded test series at home.
The selection committee member credited Pakistan’s victory to a dedicated effort in creating spin-friendly wickets, saying that a “wholehearted” approach was key. Javed, who joined the selection committee after Pakistan’s loss in the first Test, is said to have spearheaded this strategic shift, which played a vital role in Pakistan’s success on home soil.
Pakistan fine-tuned the wickets following the opening test loss to their spin bowlers which yielded immediate results as England’s batting line-up fell flat in front of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan.
Javed’s approach counters recent comments by former player and commentator Ramiz Raja, who previously argued that Pakistan lacked the expertise to prepare bowler-friendly pitches.
“We often hear that our pitches don’t support turn and that we lack spinners who can leverage such conditions,” Javed remarked. “But with some knowledge and sincere effort, you can make anything happen.”
The Rawalpindi wicket will live in infamy for the time it produced over 500 runs inside a single day in 2022 with the then-visiting England squad taking Pakistani bowlers to cleaners on a dead surface. Under Aqib Javed’s guidance, the same surface allowed Pakistan to notch an easy 9-wicket win.
The former international will be hoping to keep the magic going after handpicking the team on tours of Australia and Zimbabwe. He will also likely be PCB’s go-to person for the appointment of the next head coach the limited-overs format.
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