Bangladesh may target Pietersen with spin

MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – England face a trial  by spin in today’s second test at Old Trafford after Bangladesh  coach Jamie Siddons said he felt a couple of their batsmen  including Kevin Pietersen were vulnerable.

Pietersen, England’s best batsman, has been dismissed 16  times by left-arm spinners in just over two years.

He will need to be braced for an extra challenge after  Siddons told a news conference yesterday that left-arm spinner  Abdur Razzak could replace a pace bowler.

The Old Trafford pitch favours the slower bowlers and  left-arm spinner Monty Panesar bowled England to victory against  New Zealand in the last test on the ground two years ago.

Siddons said captain Shakib Al Hasan, another left-arm  spinner, could be a real threat. Pietersen was bowled by Shakib  in the first innings in the first test at Lord’s which England  won by eight wickets on Monday.

“We might even play another spinner and include Abdur Razzak  and put them under pressure with spin rather than pace. There  are couple of players in the England side who have struggled  against spin,” Siddons said.

Prompted to name names, the straight-talking Australian   said: “Kevin has been having trouble and hopefully keeps having  trouble.”

Pietersen, who averages 49 in 61 tests, scored 99 against  Bangladesh in Chittagong in March but was still out twice to  left-arm spinners in the match.

Lord’s debutant Robiul Islam is likely to make way for  Razzak and paceman Shafiul Islam may come in for Rubel Hossain.

England captain Andrew Strauss said he expected his spin  bowler Graeme Swann to pose more of a threat after he failed to  take a wicket at Lord’s. It was the first time the off-spinner  has failed to take a wicket after bowling in both innings in a  test.

“Their batsmen all played Graeme well but when we faced  their spinners on the last day at Lord’s there was no spin  whatsoever,” Strauss said. “Here I would expect more pace and  bounce and for the pitch to spin from days three and four.”

Strauss said his final XI would depend on whether Tim  Bresnan, out with an injured foot, was replaced by left-arm  swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom or right-arm fast-medium bowler  Ajmal Shahzad.