Pakistan have once again turned to heavy machinery as they aim to prepare a spin friendly surface in Rawalpindi for the deciding third Test against England that starts on Thursday.
In the build-up to the third Test, ground staff in Rawalpindi placed giant fans and heaters on either sides of the pitch to ensure the surface dried out as much as possible.
They used a similar tactic in the previous match where the hosts levelled the series on a re-used surface in Multan that they further dried out with large fans stationed at each end.
The tactic worked as spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan shared all 20 wickets in a 152-run win.
On Monday, Pakistan trained with just the two oversized fans remaining on an uncovered square.
It is a strategy fraught with danger as it would require winning the toss and batting first, since the pitch is likely to get more difficult to bat on with each passing day.
What is certain, however, is that spin will once again be key. Pakistan spinners Sajid and Noman proved deadly towards end of the second Test and will be expected to carry the bulk of the bowling load in an attack that will be spin heavy.
England have decided to pick an additional spinner in the form of Rehan Ahmed for the decider. But even so, left-arm spinner Jack Leach will be the main man once again.
Up until recently, Leach found himself pushed down the pecking order following the rise of young spinners Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir. However, in Pakistan, Leach has proved that experience matters when it comes to spin.
Leach lost his first-choice spot to Somerset colleague Bashir earlier this year. But in the first two Tests in Multan, Leach has bowled significantly better, picking up 14 wickets at 26.50 compared to Bashir's record of six scalps at 51.16. He is the only bowler from either side to bowl more than 100 overs so far.
However, regaining his spot as the number one spinner is not the priority for Leach.
"For me it's all about the team. I'm maybe at an age where that's all that really matters to me," the 33 year old said.
"They haven't said either way and, for me, that's not important at the moment. It's all about coming out here and trying to contribute. Whether you're playing as that first or second spinner, it doesn't matter.
"You're both working together and trying to do well for the team. That [pecking order] is not really in my thoughts. I don't know whether that will ever happen for me but that's not the most important thing.
"Whereas before it was maybe 'I just want wickets, I need wickets', maybe it's a slightly different mindset now."
Leach revealed his time away from the England team due to knee injury and subsequent demotion allowed him to work on his craft and fight his way back in the team.
"I was disappointed but I felt very clear on what I needed to do: my goal for the summer was to just enjoy the game of cricket and try to do my best for whoever I was playing for," he said.
"When you have those kind of setbacks – the injuries I had in India – another one is not too bad to deal with. [I wanted] to really enjoy my cricket with Somerset and learn to love the game a bit more again.
"I just felt like I needed to rediscover that kid-like mentality of why you play the game. You have that on the journey up to playing for England, that nothing-to-lose mentality. Then it's, 'I'm here now, I want to keep that'.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
RESULTS
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Lady Snazz, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Rich And Famous, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Rio Angie, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB) Dh 92,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Kinver Edge, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
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The five pillars of Islam
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Zayed Sustainability Prize
