Shah ‘best leg-spinner since Warne’

Jonny Bairstow says England will not panic even if they lose the second Test to Pakistan which begins at Old Trafford on Friday. Chris Woakes‘ stellar season means that he is now a certain starter which forces Steven Finn and Jake Ball out of the side. He was on the outfield at Old Trafford yesterday conducting one-on-one sessions with both Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali.

Ben Stokes, on his way back to top-flight cricket after an injury-forced layoff, has hailed Yasir Shah as the best legspinner in the game since Shane Warne.

The extra element of Rashid’s leg-spin may yet be a temptation.

“It’s the first game where I have played doing both parts of my game”, he added, in a press conference broadcast on Sky Sports News. “Pakistan have just the one left-hander in their top order, with the ball spinning into the righthanders”. “It was something that was initiated through the captain – he made a little pledge to himself”.

In three Tests against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates last winter, Rashid had mixed results. “Losing is something that we can’t afford to do but we have been playing some good Test cricket over the last two years”, said Stokes. “Of course, thanks to Yasir’s incisive bowling, the first innings lead that we got made all the difference in the end”, observed Sallu. “A lot of time and money was invested in the camp and it was surely worth it. PCB also was wise in sending the team much ahead of the series which helped the players acclimatize wonderfully in the England conditions”, he said. I thought I was going to be back earlier than I was, purely because of how good the rehab was in the first few weeks. “Whether it’s the next game, I’m not exactly sure”.

Yasir, who only played two Test matches against England, took 15 wickets at a incredible economy of 2.60 for which he duly received the player of the series award.

In his maiden Test summer, Vince’s second-innings 42 is his highest score to date.

“I have been bowling in the nets but you can’t replicate doing that, the only thing you can do is bowl in a game”.

“He has some work to do…”

“That’s not 100 per cent of the time…but I like to think that [Vince] will play more cricket for England”.

Anderson was angry over his controversial first Test omission due to a shoulder injury.

“We are very happy with what’s been happening so far”, said Rixon.

Stokes is back to full fitness and in the squad after playing in Durham’s County Championship match against Lancashire and acknowledged that England must learn to handle Yasir if they are to keep the series alive.