Old Tafford: England face a trial by spin in Friday’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 afer Siddons told a news conference on Thursday 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 here.

Siddons said captain Shakib-al Hasan, another left-arm spinner, could be a real threat. 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.

“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.