Saqlain Mushtaq as spin-bowling consultant for England

Pakistan will play 4 Test matches this summer against England in England. The series will commence on 14th July after two matches against Somerset and Sussex. Former Pakistan spin legend Saqlain Mushtaq has agreed to join the England team as the spin-bowling consultant for a 10-day stint.

He will join the team, by the second Test match of the series which is to be held at Old Trafford. Having Saqlain as a consultant will be a great plus for England as he brings in a lot of experience and he can help England batsmen to tackle the leg-spin of Yasir Shah. England had struggled against Yasir when these two teams played against each other last November.

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He said that, despite being a short stint, he believes he can contribute and make a difference. In a conversation with ESPNcricinfo he said, “It might be a brief stint, but I believe I can still make a difference. No time is too little. I will plan once we get there.”

“I’m currently occupied with my work as an analyst with PTV Sports. However, I’ll fly to England before the second Test [against Pakistan] in Manchester and will work with the players,” Saqlain told The Express Tribune.

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He said that he had calls from England previously too, for their tour of South Africa, but he was unable to accept the offer due to some prior commitments. When asked about his plans against Pakistan, he said all strategies will be made once he reaches England.

When further asked about whether he will work with only the spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali or with the batsmen as well to tackle Yasir Shah, Saqlain replied, “All that is confidential and I can’t tell you my plans, but one thing which I want to do is to add value to the team’s input to help them do well against Pakistan.”