Pakistan test performance in Australia have always been a cause of concern for Pakistan cricket fans as Pakistan had only managed to win 4 test matches in Australia. And if you look at Pakistan performance since 1999 in Australia than it is on further decline as Pakistan lost all of its matches down under.
As Pakistan team is gearing up to play its first series in World Test Championship against Australia in Australia, Pakistan’s new Head Coach / Chief Selector Misbah-ul-Haq pinned his hopes on veteran spinner Yasir Shah as Pakistan’s main man to lead the test bowling lineup down under.
Pakistan’s all time best leg spinners including likes Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Mohammad, Mushtaq Ahmed and Danish Kaneria had failed to meet up the expectations in Australia in all the past tours including Yasir Shah during the last outing.
Only Mushtaq Ahmed managed to salvage some pride by playing a match wining contribution in Pakistan’s last test win in Australia in 1995.
Here we have compiled a statistical analysis of past performances of Pakistan leading leg spinners in Australia.
As the below stats suggest Danish Kaneria is the Pakistan’s leading leg spinner in Australia with 24 scalps in 5 test matches, followed by Mushtaq Ahmed 22 and Abdul Qadir 12 in 4 & 5 appearances respectively in whites for Pakistan.
If you look down the bowling average chart below you will see a drastic change in bowling averages of Pakistani leg spinners in Australia when comparing to career bowling averages.
Same goes with the bowing strike rates it’s getting rocketing high for likes of Abdul Qadir and Yasir Shah two of the most successful test leg spinners in Pakistan history while playing in Australia.
Mushtaq Ahmed & Mushtaq Mohammad are the only exceptions whose bowling strike rate in Australia are better than their career strike rates. Mushtaq Ahmed also leading the bowling averages charts and he is also the only bowler who’s bowling average in Australia vs. Career bowling average doesn’t deviate much.
By looking above statistics of Pakistani leg spin bowlers in Australia and current bowling form of Yasir Shah it doesn’t seem that Misbah’s hopes with Yasir Shah gets fulfilled and he would be able to play the important role in Pakistan’s success.
Only time will tell if Yasir Shah would be able to emulate Mushtaq Ahmed’s performance during the 1995 series which made Pakistan to get consolation win in final test match of the series after losing first two test matches and series.
