Babar hails Abdullah, spinners for executing plans in victory over West Indies

PORT OF SPAIN: Pakistan captain Babar Azam showered praise on returning top-order batter Abdullah Shafique and the spin duo of Sajid Khan and Ali Usman for the execution of plans following their series-equalling victory over West Indies in the second Test here at the Queen's Park Oval on Wednesday.

Babar, who was reinstated as Pakistan Test captain by replacing experienced top-order batter Shan Masood ahead of the series, had an unwanted start to the recently concluded assignment as the visitors succumbed to a 90-run defeat in the opening fixture.

The Green Shirts, however, staged a remarkable turnaround in the subsequent fixture, winning it comprehensively by eight wickets, which helped them level the series 1-1, while it also ended their losing streak in away matches after nine setbacks.

Babar, who played a pivotal role in Pakistan's victory with an anchoring half-century in the first innings and a brisk 24 not out in the pursuit, expressed satisfaction with the outcome.

The Pakistan captain, however, termed the execution of plans by Shafique and the spin duo as the most important element, while also crediting their red-ball camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

"You are always satisfied when you win. But the most important thing was that we executed our plans whether it was how Abdullah Shafique batted in the first innings or how the spinners bowled in the second," said Babar.

"We had been preparing for this series for the last three months with a red ball camp at the NCA in Lahore," he added.

For the must-win fixture, Pakistan made multiple changes to their lineup, including leaving out experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas, who was their star performer in the series opener, which drew severe criticism of captain Babar.

The experienced pacer claimed eight wickets in the first Test, including the seventh five-wicket haul of his Test career, making his exclusion one of the most talked-about selection decisions.

Pakistan instead opted to strengthen their spin department by bringing Sajid into the side while Usman retained his spot.

Reflecting on the tactical move after prevailing in the fixture, Babar explained that the pitch looked similar to those in Pakistan and thus they decided to bring in an additional spinner in the form of Sajid, which forced them to leave out senior players like Abbas.

"When we saw the pitch it looked more similar to how we have in Pakistan," Babar shared.

"So, we decided to play an additional spinner and it had an impact on our combinations because of which we had to leave out our senior players," he added.

The Pakistan captain then went on to provide an update on his right hand after suffering a blow to it on the first delivery he faced in the second innings, sharing that his finger is mildly sore from bruising but deemed the extent of the injury as not serious.

"My finger is a bit sore [after the blow] but it is fine. Just a bit of a bruising."