Lahore: Undoubtedly the key part of Pakistan’s success in the mid-2010s, making the national side unbeatable on the shores of UAE with his leg-spin but now the action has permanently shifted back home, the 34-year-old Yasir Shah’s spot in the Test side hangs in balance.
This thought came for Yasir after he was dropped from the second Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval, Christchurch when the team management led by Misbah-ul-Haq awarded Test cap to Zafar Gohar, who according to new chief selector Wasim Khan ‘is not ready for Test cricket’.
This question wasn’t on the cards when Pakistan were regularly playing in the UAE as he mastered those pitches. Out of 227 wickets, 116 are in UAE in just mere 17 Tests but his exclusion from the side after the Test cricket return in Pakistan last year, indicated that he is no longer a ‘regular choice for Pakistan’ as Usman Khan Shinwari replaced him in Rawalpindi in first Test against Sri Lanka.
‘Always smiling’ Yasir was sent back to the National High-Performance Center (NHPC) to correct his basics and learn the art of bowling in these conditions under Mushtaq Ahmed. – Agencies
