ZCZC
BSP-16
CRICKET-ZAZAI-FLAT-WICKET
Turning wicket for one-off Test surprised Afghanistan: Zazai
CHATTOGRAM, Sept 8, 2019 (BSS)- Afghanistan predicted that Bangladesh
would prepare a flat wicket for the one-off Test but instead they got a
turning wicket which left them in surprises state, said wicket-keeper Afsar
Zazai.
He added the Afghan team thought that due to their much-vaunted spin
attack, Bangladesh wouldn’t risk with preparing spin wicket. According to
Zazai, Rashid Khan and other spinners licked their lips after watching the
wicket and that gave them immense confidence before the start of the match.
“We were thinking that they will make flat batting wicket. One and half
month ago, I have played here against Bangladesh A and the wicket was very
flat,” Zazai said.
“We were thinking it will be the same wicket. We saw less grass on the
wicket so we were bit surprised and we said that yes, we can beat them in the
wicket because it will turn after two days.”
Zazai said their spinners upper-hand over Bangladesh batsmen in limited
over cricket gave them the confidence ahead of the Test.
“We know it before that they will struggle against our spinners. When we
saw the wicket we said in first two days it will play better. You know our
spinners are top-class spinners and we know it before that they will
struggle,” he said.
Bangladesh shuffled their batting order in their second innings, which
Zazai thought that the hosts wanted to counter Mohammad Nabi’s spin-threat
with right and left hand combination.”
“I think they were trying to make right and left combination because of
Nabi so the two left-handers at the crease it’s easy to get them. So, I think
that was their planning so we didn’t care about it that much.”
“It’s good but it didn’t work for them. I was asking one of their batsmen
is Soumya Sarkar injured. He said no. Then I said why he didn’t come to bat.
Then he didn’t answer.”
BSS/SMP/SSS/1926 hrs