Because Yasir is garbage and past it now. Especially outside of home.
How - he was the second best PAK batsman in last outside Asia series. Outside Asia, spinners are basically batsman for three innings and this guy Yasir performed that role brilliantly in Australia. Neither Test there had fourth innings (Aussies didn’t bat second time), therefore whatever wickets Yasir got there was bonus - he was there for scoring runs in first innings and he did that brilliantly.
On a serious note, Yasir had his problem in Australia because he was given the chance - you don’t know what the other trophy that Junaids sell here regularly would have done there. It’s not easy for Asian spinners to hit right length in Australia, tougher for leggis and to his misfortune, both series a lefti had the series of his life time. In SAF as well, Yasir was hard done by PCT management, particularly Arthur who should know SAF conditions better than any one. If you go back two years, you’ll see I had written several times that the first a test will be played on spinners’ grave yard and PAK should use four pacers, even that was true for second Test as well. Also, he wasn’t fit either yet they still layer him - then batsmen didn’t put enough runs for him to try in last innings. By the time series went to better wicket (for Leggi) of Jo’burg (relatively better, SAF in general are worst place for spinners along with NZ, but J’burg wicket has extra bounce), they dropped him. Judging Yasir based on Australia or SAF series is unfair, that too for two guys like Shadab & Gohar (combined 12 wickets, Yasir has 16 5fors)......
Yasir’s performance against England is exceptional- PAK won two Tests and guy took 16 wickets in those two Tests, including two 5fors and a 10for - that’s almost alone winning both Tests. What I didn’t like Junaids here is using data selectively to fit the agenda - for basing Misbah & YK, we have read here that average is not a big deal, what is important is scoring 30+ regularly (basically down playing YK’s 218 & Misbah’s 100 at Lord’s) - but for Yasir, average matters ... more than his 10 for!!!
I don’t mind PAK picking Shadab for Test (I have included him for both series in this thread as well) but not excluding Yasir. PAK is not going to play two spinners in UK and as long as Haris is there, 2nd spinner won’t be required either - so, I think both Leggi’s should be on tour and one to play depending on condition. Dropping Yasir all together is criminal, provided that he is fit. Yasir gets lots of bashing here at PP, because most PAK posters have a false bravado about the pace attack, which to be honest is poor, hence often Yasir had to play duel role of containing & attacking - the number of overs Yasir has to bowl almost from first session of day one - you give that to Shadab, he’ll hit a hundred on day 1, almost every innings; it’s not that easy for leggi to operate in SENA, if pacers waste the new ball and spinner is brought to take wickets with 12 overs’ old ball.
Personally, I believe Yasir is a fantastic leg-spinnner, one of the best ever; but three things have gone against him so far -
1. PAK’s disgusting policy during the captaincy of Inzi/Misbah of protecting few known faces by holding out newcomers, which saw Yasir debuting at official 28, after 270+!FC wickets - he should have debuted at least 5 years ago.
2. Guy is officially 34, but I believe he was born as 5-6 years old, hence this decline (mostly due to lack of fitness) is expected & natural
3. He isn’t disciplined/honest enough with his good & fitness drills. He always struggles for over weight and he already had used his only cheat code by the name “wife’s pill” - now he can’t use external substances to reduce weight. For an ageing leggi, nothing can be worse than body fat & beer tummy.
He is still a top spinner and provided he is fit enough, if he can come to bowl at 60-2 after 23 overs, you’ll see the difference.
