Pakistani leg-spinner Yasir Shah said on Monday that he missed off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in the drawn first of two-match Test series against Bangladesh in Khulna. Yasir and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar operated the slow-bowling artillery of the visitors in Khulna but failed to make an impression, especially in the second innings when Bangladesh made 555-6. Ajmal has been a vital part of Pakistan’s success before his action came into scrutiny that left him in wilderness for the last eight months to remodel his action.
On his return Ajmal has struggled to make an impact and was ignored in the starting line-up of the first Test match.
In the ODI series Ajmal played the first two matches to produce only one wicket which prompted the team management to drop him for the third match.
He returned for Twenty20 International only to stay wicketless.
‘I miss Ajmal at the other end,’ Yasir told reporters at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
‘Bowling with him releases pressure on his partner,’ said Yasir.
‘He is an experienced guy and whenever you are bowling badly he can come up with his advice,’ said Yasir.
‘It was tough taking wickets on flat tracks as in Khulna where the pitch was unresponsive and we all were struggling to take wickets. So having a player like Ajmal around gives you confidence,’ he said.
Yasir said that the pitch was to be blamed along with their mistakes but warned that Pakistan would come up with a different plan when they take on the hosts in the second Test match that commences on Wednesday.
‘The pitch was very slow and we could not execute our plans,’ said Yasir.
‘At the same time we have seen how Bangladesh react to different situations, but we will come up with different plans’, he said.
He also admitted that the remarkable comeback of the Bangladeshi players hit them unexpectedly.
‘We did mistakes and we did not expect this kind of comeback,’ he said.
-With New Age input
