SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — West Indian leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo says the novelty of using a pink ball can help bamboozle Pakistan’s batsmen when the teams meet in Asia’s first day/night Test in Dubai from Thursday.
Bishoo warmed up for the landmark Test by taking 5-107 in a 36-over workout to help the West Indies bowl out a Pakistan Cricket Board Patron’s XI for 308 on the second day of the three-day match in Sharjah yesterday.
Now, the 30-year-old from Guyana is keen to catch Pakistan’s star-studded batting line-up — which includes Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq — cold in the three-Test series.
“The feedback I got from the batsmen was that they were finding it difficult to pick,” said Bishoo of the pink ball.
Bishoo, who will lead a West Indies spin attack which also includes off-spinner Roston Chase and left-armer Jomel Warrican, knows he faces a heavy workload against a Pakistan team which is traditionally comfortable against spin.
“Batsmen in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka are good so as a spinner you have to bowl at the right area and do the right things. I am ready for that and if you bowl good spin, you get rewards.
“I am just looking for a good series,” said Bishoo, who made his Test debut against Pakistan in 2011 — senior batsman Misbah was his first victim.
The spinner hopes the Test series will deliver better performances and results for the West Indies, who were routed 3-0 in both the Twenty20 and One-Day Internationals.
“The limited-overs matches were different. They were difficult times, but that’s not on my mind. The Tests will be different.”
The second Test will be in Abu Dhabi (Oct 21-25) and the third in Sharjah (Oct 30-Nov 3).