Cricket
Pakistan elect to bat
2012-01-25 07:44
Dubai - Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat in the second Test against England at Abu Dhabi Stadium on Wednesday.
Pakistan
kept two spinners in Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman, making one change by
bringing in left-arm paceman Junaid Khan for Aizaz Cheema.
England
were forced to leave out Chris Tremlett after the lanky paceman
suffered a recurrence of the back problem which made him to miss most
international cricket last year.
The 30-year-old is likely to
return home, becoming the second England player to leave after fast
bowler Tim Bresnan departed barely three days into the tour due to a
sore elbow which was operated last year.
Left-arm spinner Monty
Panesar replaced Tremlett, making it the first time England have played
with two spinners since March 2010 when James Tredwell partnered Graeme
Swann in Bangladesh.
Panesar is playing his first Test since July 2009.
Pakistan
(from): Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, Azhar Ali,
Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Umar Gul, Junaid Khan, Saeed
Ajmal, Abdul Rehman.
England (from): Andrew Strauss (captain),
Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan,
Matt Prior, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Monty Panesar.
Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) and Bruce Oxenford (AUS)
TV umpire: Billy Bowden (NZL)
Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)