Mohammad Abbas is not a part of the playing 11 in the second Test against the West Indies after giving an amazing performance in the first test.
According to Babar Azam, the decision was taken keeping in view the conditions of the pitch. He assured that the fast bowler was not injured and was fit to play.
During the toss, Babar told former West Indies captain Ian Bishop that the fast bowler was fit, but they preferred a bowling attack that was more capable of dealing with the slow surface in Port of Spain.
The move left a lot of cricket watchers bewildered, since Abbas performed outstandingly in the first Test.
The 35-year-old picked up eight wickets in the match, including his seventh five-wicket haul in Test cricket, a standout performance by one of Pakistan’s finest players.
Also read: Mohammad Abbas rocks West Indies after Shan Masood’s century
In order to reinforce the spin department, Pakistan turned to their young fast bowler Ubaid Shah for a debut Test match and Sajid Khan.
Mohammad Ali held on to his spot as the specialist fast bowler.
Since his return to the Pakistani squad in December 2024, Abbas has taken 28 wickets in five Tests and secured a classy wicket average of 20.32.
The bowler also has a history of good performances on slower pitches. Abbas picked up 27 wickets, a superb average of 17.55, in the six Test games he has played in the United Arab Emirates.
He also recently emerged as Pakistan’s top wicket taker in the series against Bangladesh, collecting 10 wickets in the Test matches played against the Bangladesh team.
Abbas has an average of 22.38 in Test cricket, one of the highest among the long-serving fast bowlers of Pakistan and even higher than former captain Imran Khan’s 22.81.
Pakistan will later head to England for a three-match Test series, in which Abbas will be expected to play a crucial role.
He has previously played county cricket for Nottinghamshire and Hampshire and has collected 171 wickets in English conditions, so he is a great asset for the coming tour.
Also read: Mohammad Abbas jumps nine places in ICC test rankings, Babar Azam moves up