LONDON – Pakistan coach Micky Arthur agrees that the team will miss YasirShah but is confident that the pace department can make up for his absence.

With ace spinner Yasir Shah ruled out of the two-Test series in England,Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur believes the time is right for the youngteam to gel as a unit and build a core of players that can play in allconditions.

Shah, who has taken 89 Test wickets in the last two years – more than anyother Pakistani bowler – was ruled out of the tour because of a hip injuryand was replaced by the one-Test-old Shadab Khan, a leg-spinner like Shah.

Khan, 19, has impressed in limited-overs cricket but the red-ball test awayfrom home is likely to be challenging. With the team already in England andready for their first warm-up game against Kent, Arthur feels watching Khanbowl in English conditions will be exciting.“Any team would miss Yasir. He has the ability to hold the attack andcontrol the game,” Arthur said.

“Shadab is incredibly exciting but also I am not sure that spin is going tobe a huge factor given it s early season in England, so we have coveredourselves in the seam department.

“But Shadab can clean tails up because he has all the tricks. It is goingto be exciting to see how he goes.”