Pakistan aims to sharpen pace and spin ahead of South African challenge in Chennai

While the pacers have shared the burden in terms of wickets, even if they are not economical, there are significant concerns during the middle overs where Pakistan has been losing the plot

Pakistan, historically known for its penetrative bowling attack, looked lacklustre against Afghanistan and failed to defend a target of 283, going down by eight wickets.  | Photo Credit: RAGU R

With its World Cup campaign in disarray after three consecutive losses, Pakistan can ill afford any missteps in the remaining games if it harbours any hope of progressing ahead.

The team, historically known for its penetrative bowling attack, looked lacklustre against Afghanistan and failed to defend a target of 283, going down by eight wickets.

While the pacers have shared the burden in terms of wickets, even if they are not economical, there are significant concerns during the middle overs where Pakistan has been losing the plot. So far, the tweakers have contributed to only six wickets and have also been expensive, going at 6.25 per over.

Against Afghanistan, leg-spinners Shadab Khan (0/49) and Usama Mir 0/55) were profligate from their eight overs and failed to make use of conditions that traditionally aid spinners at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

The leggies kept missing their lengths, bowling either too full or too short, allowing the Afghan batters to feast on the bad deliveries with minimal risks.

It is something, skipper Babar Azam conceded, cost the team the game, and he did not mince words about their efforts. “Our spinners didn’t hit their lengths, and every over, we conceded a boundary. So there was no pressure on their batsmen,” said Babar after Monday’s loss.

“The margin of error for bowlers is very less. We bowl four good balls, and then there are two that go for boundaries or runs. If you bowl consistently at one place, then there will be pressure, and that is missing,” he added.

The two finger spinners — offie Iftikhar Ahmed and left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who missed the previous game due to illness, have been relatively restrictive, going at just above five runs per over, but have only taken three wickets between them. On Wednesday, Nawaz was back at training, and Pakistan will hope if he is fit for the game, he can tie down the rampaging South African batters — not the best players of spin — from one end at least.

Interestingly, leggie Shadab bowled a fair bit of off-spin during training, maybe as a possible ploy against left-handers Quinton de Kock and David Miller. For Pakistan to get its campaign back on track, its spinners need to start pulling their weight at once, especially against a side that has posted mammoth totals of 428, 311, 399 and 382.