SPIN-ASSIATANCE

Saqlain to work with England's spinners

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"Loved having Saqlain Mushtaq to work with this week. Great coach and a great guy." © Cricbuzz

Former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq is set to travel to India as spin consultant of the England team for the five-Test series beginning Nov 9.

Danny Reuben, head of team communications in the ECB, confirmed the development to TOI. "He is not with the England team in Bangladesh. Saqlain is due to be with us for preparation period and for the first Test match. He will also be there for preparations and for the first ODI in India. The plan is for the first Test and ODI only."

The 39-year-old spinner had worked with England spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid during Pakistan's tour of England earlier this year. Ali, who claimed two wickets on day two of the first Test against Bangladesh, had expressed his delight in working with the legendary Pakistan offie in July. He had tweeted: "Loved having Saqlain Mushtaq to work with this week. Great coach and a great guy."

Even England head coach Trevor Bayliss, a couple of months ago, had hinted that they may well look into Saqlain again to help his spinners. "We'll probably look at something else further down the line as well. Both Mo (Ali) and Rash (Adil Rashid), who was here in the lead-up to the Test, both enjoyed working with him very much. By the sound of it, it was very positive and we'll look to use him again," he was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

"It wasn't necessarily a lot technically, it was more tactical.That's where we think both Rash and Mo need to make improvements, to go ahead in the international game," he had said. England, who are currently in Bangladesh playing the first Test, will play their first Test against India at Rajkot from Nov 9 and they begin the three-match ODI series in Pune from Jan 15. It was England who last defeated India in their own backyard, registering a 2-1 win in 2012-2013.

Saqlain, who can be termed a pioneer in bowling the doosra, has previously worked as spin consultant with New Zealand, West Indies and Bangladesh.

The offie, who runs an academy in UK, also helped Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal after he was banned for chucking in 2014. Interestingly , Saqlain's former teammate Mushtaq Ahmed was England's spin bowling coach from 2008 to 2014.

© TNN

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