Pakistan had bizarre bowling tactics in Test series against Australia: Damien Fleming

Sydney, Jan 7 (IANS) Former cricketer Damien Fleming said Pakistan had employed bizarre bowling tactics during their entire Test series against Australia, especially during day four of the Sydney game.

In the third Test, Pakistan were tasked with keeping Australia to less than 130 runs to get an improbable win. But they decided against giving the new ball to the in-form Aamir Jamal, who took six wickets in the first innings, much to the surprise of many.

It meant they lost crucial time to make inroads, which eventually set the base for the defeat in Sydney and suffered a 3-0 series sweep. “Bizarre tactics though (from) Pakistan. We’ll look back and go, ‘Gee they had a good crack at this series’, particularly (at) the MCG, if they caught better and controlled their extras.”

“How Jamal didn’t open the bowling in this second innings, I want to know why. He hasn’t bowled with the ball at all in the whole series…. And Salman (Ali Agha) is their best spinning option, it’s bizarre,” said Fleming on SEN Radio.

It was only after lunch on day four of the Sydney Test that, with Australia needing 33 to win that Jamal was finally introduced in the bowling attack in the 20th over. But the match had already reached the foregone conclusion stage in terms of result, as Australia eventually won by eight wickets.

“Do you reckon? Surely not. He hasn’t opened the bowling throughout, he should’ve at least gotten the second new ball in the first innings. But he’s so much clearly the fastest and bounciest… I didn't mind Hamza opening with him but straight it’s Salman. Absolutely bizarre,” added Fleming.

Pakistan will now play a five-match T20I series in New Zealand from January 12 to 21, where fast-bowling spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi will be the captain, in preparation for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, happening in West Indies and USA from June 1-29.