Pakistan v England: have Alastair Cook's side learnt from the 2012 whitewash?
Monday 12 October 2015 12:37, UK
Guest writer Sajid Sadiq, of www.pakpassion.net, assesses if England can avenge their 3-0 whitewash to Pakistan of 2012.
The scene was set for an England comeback in the Test series against Pakistan in the second Test in Abu Dhabi in January 2012.
The fourth day of this enthralling battle between the two sides had culminated in a situation whereby an England win was appearing to be a mere formality. This had so far been a chastening experience for the England side which had come to the desert Emirate with some very satisfying home wins against India and Sri Lanka but had then been ambushed by Pakistan in the first Test match.
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The loss in the opening Test was a shock for many but it appeared that equilibrium was to be restored in Abu Dhabi and the decider in Dubai would become the focal point of the series. The target was just 145 and England had a day and half to achieve it. What happened next is history but the long and short of it is that England were bowled out for a paltry 72.
More than the margin of defeat, it was the manner of capitulation that established Pakistan's spin supremacy over a confident England side. The events of Abu Dhabi took such a toll on the England psyche that the visiting side lost the third and final Test in Dubai despite bowling out the home side for 99 in the first innings. Almost three years on, the horrors of Abu Dhabi will undoubtedly be on the minds of the England side which will take on Pakistan in the first Test at the same venue on the 13th of October.
Talents
This time around, England will enter the field knowing fully well that their tormentor-in-chief from the previous series, Saeed Ajmal, will not be present nor will be his wingman in the shape of Abdur Rehman.
In turn, England will be confronted by a new spin threat in the shape of the ebullient Yasir Shah who in just 10 Test matches has picked up sixty one wickets. He comes highly recommended by none other than Shane Warne, who was keen to appreciate the talents of Yasir when he played his debut series against Australia in 2014.
With wickets famed for their assistance to spin, Yasir will represent the most potent threat to England on their trip to the UAE. Their inability to play quality spin is not a secret and how they counter Yasir will be their single biggest challenge on this tour. Behind the smile and friendly face, Yasir is a determined, confident and highly-skilled operator who will be looking forward to bamboozling the England batsmen.
Pakistan's pace attack may not have the likes of Umar Gul in it but make no mistake, Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali are well versed in the UAE conditions and have been trained and prepared well by Waqar Younis and should provide some challenges for the England top order.
Just like in 2012, when England stuttered against the fairly underrated spin of Abdur Rehman, they will be wary of another low profile spinner in the shape of 36-year-old Zulfiqar Babar. Yet another expert in using conditions in the UAE to his advantage, Babar will be an ideal foil for Yasir Shah in his quest for England wickets.
Mohammad Hafeez's inability to bowl due to a suspension will undoubtedly effect Pakistan's bowling strength but his importance to the batting order cannot be underestimated and this is where his unique blend of obdurate defence and attack will be depended upon by Pakistan.
Challenge
Perhaps the biggest surprise package as far as England are concerned will be the new found confidence of Azhar Ali. From a batsman who could scratch around to accumulate runs at his own pace to someone who is capable of taking the attack to the opposition, Azhar Ali, along with his captain Misbah-ul-Haq and the trustworthy Younis Khan will present the toughest challenge for England's bowling attack.
While England will know that to dismiss any or both of these stalwarts will expose the soft underbelly of the Pakistan batting line-up, they will also know about the match-changing capabilities of the wicket-keeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed who became a thorn in the visiting Australian side during the 2014 series in the UAE.
Individual capabilities apart, what this Pakistan batting side has is the ability to engage in long attritional battles with the opposing bowlers. The discipline to stay for long innings with low scoring rates which can grind down the opposition is one that seems to have been perfected by Misbah's men and they will be using these tactics during the upcoming series. How England bowlers tackle this type of batting or whether their own batsmen can return the favour is the question on many minds.
Strategies
For their part, England will be looking for some stability at the top of their order to provide the solid foundation which will put pressure on Pakistan. On current form, it would appear that Alastair Cook's opening partner will be Moeen Ali who can also hold his own in the team based upon his bowling skills.
England's exciting brand of cricket which proved to be Australia's downfall this summer is ably represented in the batting of Joe Root and Jos Buttler, both players capable of demolishing bowling attacks, but they will need to curb some of their attacking instincts on the somewhat placid pitches in the UAE.
Ian Bell will act as the calm guiding hand in the middle order but England will be looking to its bowling options to hit back and negate any advantage that Pakistan have due to familiarity with the local conditions.
Adil Rashid will need to tackle the best Pakistan batsmen head-on, but England's pace attack which centres around Stuart Broad, James Anderson and the in-form Steven Finn may well surprise Pakistan batsmen who have historically never felt comfortable against quality fast-bowling.
Whether England have learned from the outcomes of the last Test series and brought in new thinking and strategies to bear will become evident very soon in Abu Dhabi.
Their last Test encounter with Pakistan was a disaster and they would be looking to avenge that humiliation against a rampant Pakistan on their home soil.
It may not have the intensity of a Pakistan-India encounter and it may not match the passion of the Ashes but a Pakistan-England confrontation has always held its own charm. Get ready for controversies, exhilarating cricket, the unpredictable and a series that will produce heroes and villains.
England's tour of the UAE to play Pakistan is live on Sky Sports, starting with the opening Test, in Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday 13th October. You can also watch without a contract on NOW TV.
