Multan [Pakistan], October 6 (ANI): England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope acknowledged the damage Joe Root is capable of causing with his “golden arm” to opposition batters if the pitch turns out to be favourable for spinners over five days in the opening Test against Pakistan in Multan from Monday.
Root, a famed member of the ‘Fab Four,’ has earned plaudits from all over the globe for his mastery of the art of batting in red-ball cricket. Apart from the carnage that he spreads by making the batters toil hard, Root has proved his off-spin qualities in the longest format of cricket.
With 69 scalps in 146 Test matches, Root, over the years, has broken crucial stands for England. The 33-year-old has shown his economic nature by spilling away runs at 3.28.
England have fielded Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir in their playing XI, offering them plenty of options in the spin department. But Pope is willing to put in Root if the surface flattens and the spin duo fail to spread their magic.
“Having two frontline finger spinners is hopefully necessarily not too much. Those guys stay fit and healthy throughout the games. But we know Root can be a bit of a golden arm sometimes. If the pitch does flatten out and Leach needs rest, then Root is a great guy,” Pope said on the eve of the opening Test in the pre-match press conference.
England will be bolstered by the return of the experienced ball turner Leach, who last made a Test appearance during the India tour earlier this year.
Leach sustained an injury during England’s Test against India in Hyderabad in January. His return could turn the tides for England in the subcontinent, considering the impact he made last time England toured Pakistan.
In three Tests, Leach scythed 15 wickets to his name, and his partnership with youngster Shoaib Bashir wreaked havoc that Pakistan simply had no answers to.
“I think everyone is happy to have Leach in the squad for this series, and I think we obviously saw how well he bowled here on pitches that weren’t always offering a great deal,” Pope added.
Pakistan (Playing XI) for the first Test: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.
England (Playing XI) for the first Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir. (ANI)
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