Pakistan banks on spin to seal series sweep against West Indies

Head coach Aaqib Javed brushed aside criticism of Pakistan's reliance on spin bowling as they seek a clean sweep against the West Indies in the second Test starting on Saturday.

Pakistan completed a 127-run win inside three days in the opening Test, with spinners Sajid Khan taking nine wickets, Noman Ali six and Abrar Ahmed five for their third straight win at home.

West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican also grabbed a career-best 7-32 as 34 of the 40 wickets in the match went to spinners.

The second Test will also be played on a dry and grassless pitch in the central city of Multan.

Former Pakistan players and analysts hit out at the spin-heavy strategy, saying the team would struggle on away tours where pitches may not be as conducive to spin.

Aaqib, a fast bowler from an era dominated by the great pacemen Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, insisted the spin assault would continue.

"We found that the West Indies have a weakness in dealing with the spin bowling, so we exploited that and will do that again," Aaqib told a news conference on Friday.

West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite had no qualms about Pakistan's tactics.

"Pakistan are playing at home and if they believe spinning pitches are their strength then that's fine and that's how cricket is played," Brathwaite said.

"I have played on pitches which took turn from day one but not like this, which had cracks from day one," he said.

Despite the win, Pakistan’s batting performance also raised concerns, with their first-innings total of 230 giving them a crucial edge in a match that concluded within three days.

Many of their top-order batters struggled to handle spin effectively, often falling victim to arm balls and poor shot selection. Recklessness at the crease cost several players opportunities to build substantial innings.

Former Test opener Sadiq Mohammad shared his perspective on how Pakistani batsmen can improve their approach against spin. He criticized the reckless shot-making displayed in the first Test, advising batters to use the full face of the bat and focus on playing straight to counter the spin effectively.

“Our batsmen need to apply themselves, play in a V shape, and avoid cross shots or reverse sweeps on such tracks,” Sadiq said.

Sadiq also highlighted that playing forward with the bat positioned ahead of the pads is critical to avoid leg-before dismissals.

“The other important factor is that our top batsmen are playing a Test match in T20 style and that is the main reason that they are unable to tackle the spin and control the situation. They must know the art of batting on rough and spinning tracks,” he said. “In Test cricket you have the time and you can calmly develop the innings. And playing cross shots or going for reverse sweeps is not the right approach in this format.”

Changes in playing XIs

Aaqib was asked whether Pakistan might consider replacing a fast bowler with an additional batsman, given that the only pacer, Khurram Shehzad, bowled just one over in the first Test in Multan.

He responded, “We need to assess the pitch conditions thoroughly, as they can change up until the final day before the Test. There’s no fixed rule in cricket regarding the number of spinners or fast bowlers. The best XI to win the Test will be selected based on the conditions.”

Meanwhile, West Indies will be without injured pace bowler Jayden Seales, who took three wickets in the first match and will be replaced by the experienced Kemar Roach.

Brathwaite said his batters need more faith after the first Test, in which his team managed just 137 and 123 in their two innings, with Alick Athanaze the only one to reach a half century.

"It was a difficult pitch to bat in the last game," Brathwaite said.

"I would say you need to believe in your plan from ball one and not think of the third or fourth ball."

Pakistan is eighth and the West Indies ninth and last on the World Test Championship table.

Another victory in Multan could see the hosts rise to seventh.

Pakistan was forced to make radical changes last year after losing the first of three Tests against England, their 11th straight home Test without a win.

The Aaqib-led selection panel dropped out-of-form batter Babar Azam and rested pace spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

The tactics worked on the spin-friendly pitches in Rawalpindi and Pakistan went on to win the series 2-1.

"If we had taken these decisions earlier, we would have been in the race for World Test Championship final," Aaqib said.

As both teams prepare for the decisive clash, the spotlight remains on spin, with Pakistan aiming to secure a series sweep and the West Indies determined to level the series.