Pakistan national cricket team all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz criticized assistant coach Azhar Mahmood after the team defeated the England national cricket team in the second Test of the series. He highlighted the coach’s old claim that the team did not have good spinners and praised Noman Ali and Sajid Khan for their efforts.
The Pakistan national cricket team ended its winless home test drought after more than 1,300 days. The Shan Masood-led team defeated the England national cricket team in the second game of the series by a huge margin of 152 runs and leveled the three-match series at 1-1.
The Pakistan national cricket team has had a poor run of form in local Tests over the last few years. They have not managed to win the game since February 2022 at home. The Shan Masood-led team also recently faced a 2-0 defeat against the Bangladesh national cricket team and then followed it up with a crushing defeat against England in the first Test.
After the loss against Bangladesh, Pakistan’s assistant coach explained the reasons for the team’s defeat. He said that they cannot prepare the conducive track for spin because they do not have quality spinners who can take 20 wickets in the match.
We don’t have the quality of spinners – Azhar Mahmood
He said: “We cannot prepare spinning pitches in Pakistan because we do not have the quality of spinners to take 20 wickets in a match.”
However, the assistant coach has now become serious. This is because, on a spin-friendly Multan track, spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali were the main reasons behind the Pakistan national cricket team winning the second Test of the three-match series against the England national cricket team.
Sajid Khan and Noman Ali wreaked havoc in England
Sajid Khan and Noman Ali wreaked havoc on the batsmen of the England national cricket team and made them look clueless. In both the innings, the duo wove the net around the batsmen and picked wickets in groups to help the team take 20 wickets and level the three-match series between the teams.
Sajid Khan picked 7 wickets in the first innings, and Noman Ali took three scalps. In the second inning it was the other way around. Noman picked up 8 scalps and Sajid bagged two as Pakistan ended England’s innings early in both innings to win the game by 152 runs.
I thought we didn’t have spinners: Mohammad Nawaz to Azhar Mahmood after Sajid Khan and Noman Ali heroics
While Sajid Khan and Noman Ali combined to pick 20 wickets, Mohammad Nawaz, who has been on the sidelines, came up with the dig at Azhar Mahmood. He posted the photo of both spinners on his Instagram account and wrote, “I thought we didn’t have spinners.”
M Nawaz on Instagram story: “I thought we didn’t have spinners.” pYodo.twYottmyr.doohmetro/l7FInorth4q6myF
– (@CallMeSheri1) ohdotohbmyr 18, 2024
Sajid Khan, who won the Man of the Match award, spoke about his association with Noman Ali and said that he is the most experienced player in his team. While giving more details about the same, he explained:
“Noman is one of the most experienced players in our team; he shares his experience with all of us and has played everywhere. I got the wickets in the first innings, he got them in the second. Our combination was good. First in the second innings, I got out early and he (Noman) scored. In the second innings, I batted under him and it was important to support Agha Bhai.”
