Islamabad Oct 22: Brendon McCullum Dismisses England’s Spin Concerns Ahead of Third Test. While Pakistan’s skipper Shan Masood has expressed his wish for another turning point in the forthcoming series finale in Rawalpindi, England’s head coach Brendon McCullum has stepped out to deny any perceived accusations that his squad struggles on spin-friendly pitches.
Between the first and second Test matches in Multan, Pakistan made a number of notable adjustments, including changing the team four times, adding three spinners, and using the same surface for the second week. With spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali taking all 20 wickets and securing a 152-run victory to tie the series, the approach proved to be quite effective.
Since Test cricket returned to Rawalpindi in 2019, seamers have often found the pitch there more advantageous than spinners, as seen by England’s 657 runs in 101 overs during their most recent Test there two years ago. Masood has asked for a drier surface, but the PCB ground crew is already getting the pitch ready for Thursday’s showdown.
Following Pakistan’s defeat in the second test, McCullum told the media,
“We were quite realistic about the difficulty of this task and the possibility that we might eventually face some harsh circumstances. We haven’t received any complaints yet, but winning the first Test likely accelerated that process. This game was outplayed by us. We’ll strive to adjust in accordance with what Rawalpindi has to offer”.
Rehan Ahmed might be guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup if that turns out to be the case, the English head coach added, adding that he was expecting a considerably rougher surface in Rawalpindi than the one England played on a few years ago.
