Calls for Australia’s selectors to pick un-capped leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson for the second Pakistan Test are growing louder.
Former Test leg-spinner Kerry O’Keeffe is the latest respected figure to have called for Swepson to debut in the five-day format in Karachi, reasoning that selectors should put faith in the 28-year-old on the back of the lifeless Rawalpindi pitch.
At the time of O’Keeffe pushing Swepson’s case at lunch on the fifth day of the first Test, the match had produced 1011 runs and just 14 wickets.
READ MORE: What Ricky Ponting wishes he told Shane Warne
READ MORE: Bill Lawry remembers Shane Warne, pays tribute to Rod Marsh
READ MORE: Judo federation removes titles from Vladimir Putin
Australia opted for three mainline quicks for the first Test – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc – one specialist spinner in Nathan Lyon and pace-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green.
Pakistan ran with two top-class pacemen – Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah – and two specialist spinners in Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan.
The success Ali has had in Rawalpindi could lure Australia’s selectors into playing a second top-line spinner in the next Test, after the left-arm orthodox tweaker captured six wickets in the visitors’ first dig.
O’Keeffe believes Swepson should undoubtedly be added to Australia’s XI for the Karachi Test.
“I think it’s a must,” O’Keeffe said.
“It’s been exposed that three fast bowlers and one specialist spinner on this pitch is not going to work.
“So, we’ve got to find out about Mitch Swepson. Is he the real deal? Is he Test quality?
“He’s there, they should play him.”
Swepson has taken 154 first-class wickets at the average of 34.55.
Former Test captain Mark Taylor told Wide World of Sports ahead of the Pakistan tour that playing both Lyon and Swepson could work.
“No doubt I think they could (play together) if they put out slow, low pitches which turn,” Taylor said.
“Now with Green in at No.6, Australia can easily play two quicks, two slows and Green, and we would have a very good bowling attack.
“That is definitely an option for Australia.”
International Cricket Council officials will judge whether the Rawalpindi wicket should be deemed ‘poor’.
The ground will be dealt three demerit points if categorised in that way.
A venue is suspended from hosting international cricket for 12 months if it receives five demerit points in a five-year period.
Australia second drop Steve Smith labelled the Rawalpindi deck “pretty benign” and “dead”.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!