England vs Pakistan Battle between higher orders may be decisive, says Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakistan head coach and coach Misbah-ul-Haq has not ruled out the possibility of playing two spinners in the first Test against England starting Wednesday at Old Trafford.

“We have seen the West Indies series and we have seen that in Manchester and Southampton conditions are different and we are seeing some dry conditions and help for spinners and reverse swing,” Misbah said during a media interaction on Monday.

Misbah also felt that the higher order of both teams would play a decisive role in the series as the bowling of both teams was first class.

“England’s batting has struggled under these conditions. It will be a match between the best performance of both teams. If you can cross 300 in the first innings, your chances of winning are around 75 percent.”

Misbah said not playing at Lord’s and Oval, the two happy hunting grounds for Pakistan on previous tours, would not really matter, as the fields and conditions in Manchester and Southampton could help visitors.

He recognized that playing the correct combination in the Test would be a decisive and important factor in the first match.

“I think I am quite satisfied with the preparations, we met after three months and started from scratch. It has been a wonderful experience, we required such camps before a major series.”

“This period was important for the union and preparation of the teams, the creation of match scenarios, and the good thing is that the team is in good shape and waiting for the series.”

Waiting for Babar to play a key role: Misbah

Misbah also made it clear that he and hitting coach Younis Khan expect Babar Azam to play a pivotal role in the series.

“We have high expectations for Babar and then for Azhar (Ali) and Asad (Shafiq), as they are high-level players and their contributions are very important.”

He said the series could be groundbreaking for Babar and other youngsters like Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, etc.