Veteran Pakistan spinner Zulfiqar Babar said on Friday his team need to stay one step ahead of England when they meet in the third and final Test in Sharjah.
Veteran Pakistan spinner Zulfiqar Babar said on Friday his team need to stay one step ahead of England when they meet in the third and final Test in Sharjah.
The 36-year-old helped Pakistan win the second Test in Dubai in tandem with leg-spinner Yasir Shah, sharing 11 wickets between them.
The duo have taken over from Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman, who helped Pakistan rout England 3-0 in the United Arab Emirates three years ago.
Rehman is no longer in the reckoning while Ajmal has been struggling with a new bowling action after he was reported last year.
Babar said Pakistan are confident of winning the third Test starting in Sharjah from Sunday.
“The mood is confident and we want to win the match so that we can take the series and rise in rankings,” Babar told media.
Babar was left alone in the spin attack after leg-spinner Yasir Shah did not play in the drawn first Test in Abu Dhabi, where England posted a big 598/9 declared, due to a back problem.
“It was tough to get them in the first Test but then I realised that we can get the left hander by bowling in the rough and that gave me success,” said Babar.
“It was difficult to be without Yasir and I missed him but (Shoaib) Malik also bowled well and in the second Test in Dubai Yasir came back and I enjoyed bowling with him.
