MULTAN: 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.
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.
Pakistan are unlikely to make any changes.
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 are 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 were 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.

BARCELONA: Barcelona took a big bet 2 1/2 years ago that they could mortgage their future for the quick cash that the indebted club desperately needed to sign some major names.
They took a chunk of the money they received from selling off future television rights and other assets and paid a combined 160 million euros (then $163 million) to bring in top striker Robert Lewandowski, Brazil forward Raphinha, and versatile defender Jules Koundé.
While Lewandowski has consistently found the net, there was never a stretch in which all three players performed up to their billing.
Until now.
The excellent play of the trio, as well as their teammates, has seen Barcelona take second place in the Champions League standings and remain in contention both in the Spanish league and Copa del Rey.
Lewandowski is having one of his best seasons at age 36, and Koundé is excelling both in defense and attack from his position of right back.
But it is the 28-year-old Raphinha who has undergone a transformation into a clutch scorer, team leader, and play-from-any position wild card for new coach Hansi Flick.
The breakout of Raphinha
Raphinha arrived in Spain from Leeds as a speedy, hard-working right winger.
But coach Xavi Hernández ended up preferring Ousmane Dembele in that position and Raphinha was not a key player during the 2022 La Liga title run. Then, after Dembele left, Raphinha saw teen phenom Lamine Yamal explode and again push him to the bench.
Instead of sulking, Raphinha reinvented himself as a left-side winger and a creative midfielder and immediately convinced Flick that he had to be in his starting 11.
He has since become the most improved player for a top team in Spain this season, scoring 22 goals across all competitions. He had managed 10 goals in each of his first two campaigns with the club.
And those goals have been big ones. He scored three goals in two lopsided wins over Real Madrid, and he netted a brace, including an incredible solo breakaway goal, to stun Benfica 5-4 in the Champions League earlier this week.
Lewandowski remains as good as ever
When Lewandowski arrived from Bayern Munich in 2022, many thought that Barcelona would be lucky to get a couple of good seasons from the Poland star before he entered the twilight of his career.
But Lewandowski is on a romp with a whopping 28 goals in 29 games overall, including a Champions League leading nine goals. Raphinha is next with eight.
Patience pays off for Koundé and Xavi
Koundé arrived at Barcelona after impressing as a central defender with Sevilla. Xavi, however, needed to play him at right back and out of his comfort zone.
Now Koundé has fully adapted to that position and displays a sense of command both while marking top forward like Vinícius Júnior or going into attack behind Yamal on the flank. He has delivered two goals and three assists while playing the most minutes of any Barcelona player this season.
Barcelona are in third place in La Liga before hosting relegation-threatened Valencia on Sunday. Flick’s team will be aiming to bounce back from a 1-1 draw at Getafe last weekend.
Leader Real Madrid visit bottom-side Valladolid on Saturday, two points ahead of Atletico Madrid before they play Villarreal.