MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – England face a trial by spin in today’s second test at Old Trafford after Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons said he felt a couple of their batsmen including Kevin Pietersen were vulnerable.
Pietersen, England’s best batsman, has been dismissed 16 times by left-arm spinners in just over two years.
He will need to be braced for an extra challenge after Siddons told a news conference yesterday that left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak could replace a pace bowler.
The Old Trafford pitch favours the slower bowlers and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar bowled England to victory against New Zealand in the last test on the ground two years ago.
Siddons said captain Shakib Al Hasan, another left-arm spinner, could be a real threat. Pietersen was bowled by Shakib in the first innings in the first test at Lord’s which England won by eight wickets on Monday.
“We might even play another spinner and include Abdur Razzak and put them under pressure with spin rather than pace. There are couple of players in the England side who have struggled against spin,” Siddons said.
Prompted to name names, the straight-talking Australian said: “Kevin has been having trouble and hopefully keeps having trouble.”
Pietersen, who averages 49 in 61 tests, scored 99 against Bangladesh in Chittagong in March but was still out twice to left-arm spinners in the match.
Lord’s debutant Robiul Islam is likely to make way for Razzak and paceman Shafiul Islam may come in for Rubel Hossain.
England captain Andrew Strauss said he expected his spin bowler Graeme Swann to pose more of a threat after he failed to take a wicket at Lord’s. It was the first time the off-spinner has failed to take a wicket after bowling in both innings in a test.
“Their batsmen all played Graeme well but when we faced their spinners on the last day at Lord’s there was no spin whatsoever,” Strauss said. “Here I would expect more pace and bounce and for the pitch to spin from days three and four.”
Strauss said his final XI would depend on whether Tim Bresnan, out with an injured foot, was replaced by left-arm swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom or right-arm fast-medium bowler Ajmal Shahzad.