DUBAI - Pakistan’s strike bowler and leg spinner Yasir Shah has prepared well to strike with the pink ball in the first Test commencing from October 13 against West Indies at the Dubai International Stadium.
It will be a special moment for Yasir, who became the quickest Pakistan bowler to get 50 Test wickets from just nine matches, and is now just five wickets away from his 100th Test wicket. Before playing his 17th Test match, which will be with the pink ball, he said: “I have been practicing with the pink ball for the last week, and it is going well, in fact in comparison to the red ball, I find I am getting more bounce with the pink ball. So I am trying to get as much practice with this ball.”
Yasir trained hard at the ICC Academy for the Test matches and said: “I have been asking the coaches and Misbah ul-Haq our captain for tips because this is my first match with a pink ball. In the beginning, I thought it would be hard but we have been practicing so it is better, this is the first Day-Night Test for me with a pink ball, and so it is an exciting prospect as I have not played with the pink ball before.”
Yasir is not ready to take West Indies lightly though their batsmen have been struggling against spin on the UAE wickets. “You cannot take any international team lightly, and just because we got the better of West Indies in ODIs and T20Is does not mean we can take them lightly in Tests. We have to give them the respect they deserve and we will make every effort to do well in the Tests.”
Meanwhile, West Indies hopes of getting a first innings lead over Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Patrons XI in the three-day match with the pink ball that was played in the Sharjah Cricket Stadium ended in vain. Though the match ended in a draw on Sunday night, Pakistan gained a psychological boost by bowling out West Indies for 297 in reply to their first innings total of 308. Interestingly, leg spinner Shahzaib Ahmad took five wickets for 85 runs in the match.
The first Test of the three-match Test series will start on October 13. The day-night Dubai Test will also be special for Pakistan cricket for one more reason. It will be their 400th match in the traditional format of the game.