MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan hopes its tried and tested spin template will be successful against the West Indies as the two bottom-placed teams in the World Test Championship gear up for the two-test series starting from Friday.
The same pitch has been prepared for the first test in Multan on which Pakistan spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali neutralized England’s aggressive “Bazball” in October when the groundskeepers successfully dried out the 22-yard strip with the help of giant industrial-sized fans and patio heaters.
“We emphasized during the England series that home conditions are very important in test cricket,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said on Thursday. “We adapted a style of play, style of pitches, (and) now we will try how we can perform in our home grounds and carry forward the momentum of England series.”
Pakistan came from behind to beat England 2-1 on engineered dry wickets of Multan and Rawalpindi after losing the first test by an innings when the tourists amassed a record-breaking 823-7 declared in the first innings.
Off-spinner Sajid and left-arm spinner Noman, who grabbed 39 of the 40 wickets in the last two test matches against England, are both named in the 15-man squad after being overlooked for the away series against South Africa, which Pakistan lost 2-0.
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who missed the last home series against England because of illness, is also in the squad and it is likely Pakistan will go with three specialist spinners.
Pakistan has lost eight of its last 10 test matches under Masood’s captaincy since he was elevated as red-ball skipper in December 2023. But the skipper believed Pakistan couldn’t capitalize a number of times against Australia, Bangladesh and even against South Africa after putting opponents on the back foot.
“There are lots of test matches during last year when we lost the games after coming into a winning position,” Masood said. “There were only one or two one-sided matches … we came into good positions but couldn’t finish it. The lesson for this team is how we can convert it into victories after coming into winning positions.”
Pakistan will be without its in-form opening batter Saim Ayub, who was ruled out of competitive cricket for up to six weeks after fracturing his right ankle during the test match in South Africa. Imam-ul-Haq will replace Ayub in the top order after the left-hander was recalled since last playing against Australia.
West Indies is yet to win a series in this WTC cycle. It has lost to India, England and South Africa while drawing 1-1 both against Australia and Bangladesh.
But captain Kraigg Brathwaite was hopeful that his team could finish the WTC cycle on a high.
“This series is very important for us,” Brathwaite said. “Obviously (we have) two test matches left in this cycle and it’s a new year … it is important to finish this cycle strong and that’s our focus.”
Fast bowler Shamar Joseph was ruled of the series due to shin splits while another pacer, Alzarri Joseph preferred to play in the ILT20 league in the United Arab Emirates and skipped the test series in Pakistan.
Brathwaite said the tourists has left out their vice-captain Joshua Da Silva from the playing XI while fast bowler Kemar Roach misses out because of illness.
Multan will also host the second test, starting from Jan. 25 due to ongoing upgrades at Pakistan's two main stadiums in Karachi and Lahore for next month's Champions Trophy.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, right, and his Pakistani counterpart Shan Masood pose for photo with test-series trophy, in Multan, Pakistan, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asim Tanveer)
Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan plays a shot while South Africa's David Bedingham jumps attempting to field and South Africa's Kyle Verreynne looks on during the fourth day of the second test match between South Africa and Pakistan in Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Halden Krog)
Pakistan's Shan Masood plays a shot while South Africa's Kyle Verreynne looks on during the fourth day of the second test match between South Africa and Pakistan in Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Halden Krog)
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovars cast their votes Sunday in a parliamentary election considered a key test for Prime Minister Albin Kurti as talks on normalizing ties with rival Serbia remain stalled and foreign funding for one of Europe's poorest countries in question.
Kurti’s left-wing Vetevendosje!, or Self-Determination Movement Party, is seen as the front-runner but is not expected to win the necessary majority to govern alone, leaving open the possibility the other two contenders join ranks if he fails to form a Cabinet.
The other challengers are the Democratic Party of Kosovo, or PDK, whose main leaders are detained at an international criminal tribunal at The Hague accused of war crimes, and the Democratic League of Kosovo, or LDK, the oldest party in the country that lost much of its support after the death in 2006 of its leader, Ibrahim Rugova.
The parties made big-ticket pledges to increase public salaries and pensions, improve education and health services, and fight poverty. However, they did not explain where the money would come from, nor how they would attract more foreign investment.
Kurti has been at odds with Western powers after his Cabinet took several steps that raised tensions with Serbia and ethnic Serbs, including the ban on the use of the Serbian currency and dinar transfers from Serbia to Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority that depends on Belgrade’s social services and payments. The U.S., the European Union and the NATO-led stabilization force KFOR have urged the government in Pristina to refrain from unilateral actions, fearing the revival of inter-ethnic conflict.
This is the first time since independence in 2008 that Kosovo’s parliament has completed a full four-year mandate. It is the ninth parliamentary vote in Kosovo since the end of the 1998-1999 war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists that pushed Serbian forces out following a 78-day NATO air campaign. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence.
The vote will determine who will lead the Kosovo in negotiations with Serbia, which stalled again last year.
The EU has suspended funding for some projects and set conditions for their gradual resumption, linked to Kosovo taking steps to de-escalate tensions in the north, where most of the Serb minority lives.
Kosovo is also suffering after Washington imposed a 90-day freeze on funding for different projects through the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has been key in promoting the country’s growth.
Some 2 million eligible voters will elect 120 lawmakers from 1,280 candidates from 27 political groupings. One independent candidate is also running. The Kosovar parliament has 20 seats reserved for minorities regardless of election results, 10 of which are for the Serb minority.
“I encourage all the citizens of Kosovo to use this opportunity to decide on the next four years,” Kurti said after casting his ballot.
There have been sporadic violent incidents. Prosecutors said they detained five people for trying to influence voters.
Kosovars abroad started voting on Saturday at 43 diplomatic missions. There are some 20,000 voters from the diaspora of nearly 100,000 casting ballots at the missions, and the rest by post.
Although crucial for the region's stability, negotiations with Serbia have not figured high on any party’s agenda.
”What can we do? We were born here. Our graves are here. It will be better, I hope. We have to come out and vote. That is our duty,” Mileva Kovacevic, a Serb resident in northern Mitrovica, said.
Kosovo, with a population of 1.6 million, is one of the poorest countries in Europe with an annual gross domestic product of less than 6,000 euros per person.
KFOR has increased its presence in Kosovo after last year’s tensions with Serbia as well as for the election.
A team of 100 observers from the EU, 18 from the Council of Europe and about 1,600 others from international or local organizations will monitor the vote.
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Associated Press writer Vojislav Stjepanovic contributed to this report.
Albin Kurti, President of the left-wing Vetevendosje! party, leaves a voting station as Kosovo holds a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)
Albin Kurti, President of the left-wing Vetevendosje! party, makes statements outside a voting station as Kosovo holds a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)
Lumir Abdixhiku, Leader of Democratic League of Kosovo party, casts his ballot during parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)
Albin Kurti, President of the left-wing Vetevendosje! party, prepares to cast his ballot as Kosovo holds a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)
Albin Kurti, President of the left-wing Vetevendosje! party, arrives to vote as Kosovo holds a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)
Albin Kurti, President of the left-wing Vetevendosje! party, casts his ballot as Kosovo holds a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)
A man casts his ballot for a parliamentary election at a polling station in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)
European Union election observers watch a voter at a polling station during a parliamentary election in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)
A voter waits for a ballot during a parliamentary election at a polling station in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)
People wait in front of a polling station for a parliamentary election in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)
A man prepares his ballot for a parliamentary election at a polling station in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)
People wait in line during a parliamentary election at a polling station in the northern Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)
An electoral committee member prepares a voting station for a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)
A woman is checked by a member of an electoral committee during a parliamentary election in Pristina, Kosovo, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)