Tag: Pakistan vs England

MULTAN: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has put forward his stance on Saud Shakeel’s controversial dismissal, saying that it seemed like the ball had made the ground first but one has to accept the umpires’ decision.

The dismissal, which apparently cost Pakistan a 26-run defeat against England in the second Test, occurred on day 4 when Saud was batting at 94 with Pakistan just 65 runs away from the target. He gloved the ball behind stumps off Mark Wood and wicket-keeper Ollie Pope dived to carry an edge that went too low but still managed to get his gloves underneath the ball.

Was it out or not out?#ASportsHD #PAKvENG #UKsePK pic.twitter.com/HHjVvlmCQ3

— ASports (@asportstvpk) December 12, 2022

On-field umpires referred the decision to third umpire Joel Wilson who took a while to check the catch and declared it out at last.

“To us, it seems like the ball has touched the ground first,” said the Pakistan captain in a post-match press conference on Monday. “But as a professional, you have to accept the umpire’s decision.

Following Saud’s dismissal, England pacers ran through the tailender to bundle out Pakistan for 328 in the second innings and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after a dramatic win in Multan.

“We made some mistakes. The game was well in our hands like the previous one, but, unfortunately, we couldn’t finish it properly,” said Babar.

He added that the lack of experience especially the absence of the team’s key fast bowlers due to injuries led to the team’s disappointing loss in the match.

“We were a bit unlucky that our main bowlers got unfit before the game which cost us this series. But this cannot be an excuse because as a team we didn’t play good cricket” he said.

Pakistan team had rested its bowling mainstay, Naseem Shah after he suffered discomfort in his shoulder before the start of the second Test match while Haris Rauf was ruled out of the series after pulling a quad injury in the first Test.

The final Test of the historic three-match series will take place from December 17 to 21 in Karachi.

READ: England seal series after dramatic win over Pakistan in Multan Test

MULTAN: England came from behind to seal a tense win by 26 runs in the second Test after their pacers stormed through Pakistan’s lower order on day 4 and steer their side to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, here at Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Mark Wood pulled out a sensational comeback when he removed, dangerous-looking Mohammad Nawaz and Saud Shakeel in the first session, and along with fellow pacers ran through the tailenders to bundle out Pakistan for 328 in the second innings.

Nawaz played a sensational knock of 46 off 62 balls to put Pakistan on top with Saud equally contributing with his sublime form but Wood turned the table before Lunch when Pakistan were just 65 runs away from victory with five wickets in hand.

The express pacer utilized his most lethal weapon, a short-length ball, to get rid of the Nawaz-Saud duo as both gloved the balls angling to the leg side and straight to wicket-keeper Ollie Pope.

At 291 for 7, Abrar Ahmed and Agha Salman added 19 runs in the afternoon session before James Anderson dismissed Abrar at covers who played a cameo of 12 off 19.

The last two batters Zahid Mahmood and Mohammad Ali remained hapless in front of England pacers as Wood and Ollie Robinson hunted them down without even opening their accounts.

Pakistan resumed the play on the penultimate day of the second Test at 198/4 and had an early scare in form of Faheem Ashraf who fell prey to part-timer Joe Root before Nawaz and Saud took the charge and stitched a crucial 80-run partnership on the sixth wicket.

Saud remained the top-scorer for his side with a defiant knock of 94 from 213 balls but was unfortunate to finish things on a high note for Pakistan.

MULTAN: England Test captain Ben Stokes equalled his coach Brendon McCullum’s famed record of hitting the most sixes in Test cricket amid his 41-run knock against Pakistan in the ongoing second Test.

Stokes, who resumed England’s second innings at 202/5 with Harry Brook, played an important knock of 41 runs in 51 balls and briefly carried his overnight partnership with the latter to set England to finish at a decent total.

Amid his 41-run knock, the left-handed batter smashed one boundary and a six.

Stokes’ six against Pakistan in the second innings was his career’s 107th six in 160 innings that propelled him to equal McCullum’s record of as many sixes.

McCullum took 176 innings to set the bar, while Stokes equalled the tally with 16 innings fewer than his coach.

It is pertinent to mention that a vital 108-run partnership between Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel anchored Pakistan to 198/4 at the stumps on day three, requiring another 157 runs to square off a series-levelling victory.

Pakistan opener Imam, who came out to bat at number five perished in the closing minutes of the third day’s action after scoring a fighting half-century.

Whereas, Saud stood firm with his unbeaten 54 and will resume the run chase with Faheem Ashraf (3*) on an anticipated decisive day of the second Test.

READ: Southgate future in focus as England digest World Cup exit 

MULTAN: Pakistan batting coach Mohammad Yousuf asserted Multan Test to be equally balanced between the two sides as Pakistan finished at 198/4 at the conclusion of the third day’s action.

Yousuf, while talking to the media following the conclusion of the third day’s play and predicted the outcome of the ongoing Multan Test.

“What I’m seeing right now is that this match is 50-50. Look, a Test match goes this way, in the first session we lost three wickets and in the next session we got a partnership between Imam and Saud, both played very well and put England under pressure,” said Yousuf.

“But, the wicket that fell four overs before the stumps, brought England back in the game. Otherwise, if you look at the situation of this match, if Imam didn’t get out then England would be under even more pressure and even it will not be a 50-50 situation.

“It is a part of the game and the beauty of Test cricket is that it goes session by session and more importantly, such tense matches are important to keep Test cricket alive.”

On a question regarding whether it was a conscious effort from the hosts to play with a better run rate, Yousuf claimed that it has always been discussed in the camp but in the end, we have to play according to the situation of the match.

“Look, it is often discussed in the camp with the players and we offer them since they all are professional players but sometimes the situation or wicket is such that you can not score freely,” Yousuf shared.

“If you look at this series, for example, they have been playing at a much higher rate than us but if we consider our requirements then we’ve been going accordingly in the last four innings and that is a good sign for everyone,” he maintained.

On a question regarding wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan’s struggling patch in his last five Tests and whether he should be rested for the Karachi Test and replaced by former captain Sarfaraz Ahmer, batting coach Yousuf claimed it is not in his domain.

“Since I started working with the cricket board, around two years ago and have been with the team for the last eight to ten months, so one thing is really clear that everyone would work by staying in his domain,” answered Yousuf.

“And that is a good thing, I won’t go in anyone’s domain, no one would come into mine. So, I do not think that this question belongs to my domain,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that a vital 108-run partnership between Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel anchored Pakistan to 198/4 at the stumps on day three, requiring another 157 runs to square off a series-levelling victory.

Pakistan opener Imam, who came out to bat at number five perished in the closing minutes of the third day’s action after scoring a fighting half-century.

Whereas, Saud stood firm with his unbeaten 54 and will resume the run chase with Faheem Ashraf (3*) on an anticipated decisive day of the second Test.

READ: Imam, Saud anchor Pakistan to 198/4 at stumps after brief collapse 

MULTAN: Pakistan’s left-handed opener Imam-ul-Haq was taken to a local hospital here for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans on Sunday.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Imam “felt unease in his right hamstring” during the ongoing third Test.

Following Imam’s absence, wicket-keeper batted Mohammad Rizwan opened the innings for Pakistan with Abdullah Shafique.

Meanwhile, in the first session of Day 3, England bundled out for 275 and managed to set a decent 355-run target for the hosts.

Left-handed batter Harry Brook led the way for the touring side as he brought up his second Test century to power England to set a commendable total for Pakistan.

He top-scored with a magnificent 108 off 149 deliveries, laced with 14 boundaries and a six.

READ: Rizwan, Abdullah script decent start to Pakistan’s run chase 

MULTAN: Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel put on a fighting 108-run partnership for the fourth wicket to bolster Pakistan to finish at 198/4 before the conclusion of the third day of the ongoing second Test.

Pakistan opener Imam, who came out to bat at number five perished in the closing minutes of the third day’s action after scoring a fighting half-century.

Earlier, the duo of Imam and Saud took the charge of the English bowlers in the final session and neutralized the top-order collapse with a gritty 108-run partnership as both scored half-centuries.

The pair appeared solid and likely to carry their bat through till the stumps before Jack Leach provided England with a much-needed breakthrough in the form of Imam, who walked back after scoring 60 off 104 balls with the help of seven boundaries.

Saud, on the other hand, stood firm and carried on his unbeaten half-century knock as he finished not out on 54 and added seven runs for the fifth wicket with Faheem Ashraf before the stumps.

Saud (54*) and Faheem (3*) will now resume the run chase for Pakistan on the fourth day. The hosts need 157 runs to level the series, while England need six wickets to claim a historic series triumph.

James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and Jack Leach all picked up a wicket apiece for England in the final innings.

The touring side enjoyed an eventful second session of the third day as they removed Pakistan’s key batters, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Abdullah Shafique in quick successions to halt their march despite openers providing a solid start.

Pakistan, on the other hand, could only add 72 runs for the loss of three wickets and needed a further 219 runs with more than two days remaining.

Pakistan openers Abdullah and Rizwan, who seemed exceptional in the first session, failed to carry on their momentum as Anderson took just five deliveries after the break to split the opening stand.

The veteran pacer deceived Rizwan with an outstanding outswinger that castled the latter’s off-stump and put an end to his 30-run knock.

Pakistan then endured a major setback when captain Babar perished cheaply as he could score a mere one run before being castled by Robinson.

Following two back-to-back dismissals, Abdullah attempted to anchor the run chase but could only add 17 runs with Saud Shakeel for the third wicket as Wood brought an end to his fighting knock and Pakistan consequently, slipped to 83/3.

The right-handed opening batter scored 45 off 94 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and four sixes.

Following the slump, however, Saud and Imam-ul-Haq put on a brave fight as they kept English bowlers at bay and ticked the scoreboard to take Pakistan to 136/3 at the stroke of Tea.

Saud was unbeaten on 32 while Imam had made 25 not out.

Earlier, Pakistan openers Abdullah and Rizwan managed to provide a decent despite the absence of full-time opener Imam, who was taken to a local hospital here for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans as he felt unease in his right hamstring.

Their unbeaten partnership bolstered Pakistan to finish at 64/0 at Lunch on the third day of the ongoing second Test.

The duo appeared solid and scored at a decent rate of more than four runs per over to push English bowlers at the backfoot.

At the time of the lunch break, Abdullah was unbeaten on 34 while Rizwan had made 28 not out.

Earlier, England bundled out for 275 in the second innings and managed to set a decent 355-run target for the hosts.

Left-handed batter Harry Brook led the way for the touring side as he brought up his second Test century to power England to set a commendable total for Pakistan.

READ: Brook’s century powers England to set 355-run target for Pakistan 

MULTAN: England Harry Brook brought up his second Test century against Pakistan and powered his side to set a commendable 355-run target for Pakistan on Day 3 of the second Test.

England, resuming at an overnight score of 202/5, managed to accumulate a further 73 runs at the cost of their remaining wicket.

Left-handed batter Brook led the way for England, who brought up his second Test century against Pakistan in as many matches after he resumed his overnight 79-run knock.

The touring side had an unwanted start to their proceedings as they lost their skipper Ben Stokes for a vital 41-run knock and could add 54 runs on the third day with Brook.

Following Stokes’ dismissal, England began to lose wickets at a frustrating pace and soon slipped to 270/8.

Brook, however, stood firm and kept the scoreboard ticking single-handedly and went on to smash his second Test century.

The left-handed batter also fell victim to England’s batting collapse and was dismissed by Zahid Mahmood in the 65th over.

Brook top-scored for England in the second innings with his magnificent knock of 108 off 149 deliveries, laced with 14 boundaries and a six.

Besides him, Ben Duckett (79) and English captain Stokes (41) were the notable run-getter for England in their last innings.

Debutant Abrar Ahmer once again was clinical with the ball as he returned with brilliant bowling figures of 4/120, while Zahid picked up three wickets, followed by Mohammad Nawaz, who bagged one.

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MULTAN: England stretched their lead to 281 runs with five wickets in hand with help of phenomenal half-centuries from Ben Duckett and Harry Brook after their bowlers wreaked havoc on Pakistan’s batting line on Day 2 of the second Test, here at Multan Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Starting their second turn with an advantage of 79 runs, England batters sailed a bit cautiously this time, however, first innings hero for Pakistan Abrar Ahmed continued to intimidate visitors and provided Pakistan with breakthroughs at regular intervals.

Abrar took three wickets to increase his wicket tally to 10 in the match, besides playing roles in two of the run-outs as England closed the day at 202/5 with skipper Ben Stokes (16* off 25) and solid-looking Brook (74* off 108) on the crease.

With Zak Crawley effectively removed with a direct hit in the fifth over of England’s second turn which started after the lunch interval, a surprise move to send Jacks to bat at no 3 proved unwise since he fell cheaply to the mystery of Abrar.

Root with a watchful knock of 21 off 35 tried his best to live up to his reputation as England’s best player of spin but eventually had to surrender with a screamer at short leg off Abrar.

Duckett and Brook, however, put England back in control in the final session as the two gathered for a 68-run partnership on the fourth wicket before Abrar’s short-of-length delivery remained surprisingly low and skidded into the bottom of off stump to end Duckett’s phenomenal knock 79 off 98.

Ollie Pope, who swapped positions with Jacks, had an unfortunate day as he became the second run-out of the innings when non-striker Brook sent him back after he was halfway through to the pitch and had no chance to make the ground.

Earlier, England bowlers ran through Pakistan’s jittery batting line in the morning session on day 2 to restrict the hosts to 202 in the first innings.

In one of the highly turbulent batting collapses, Pakistan lost eight wickets for an addition of mere 60 runs after pacer Ollie Robinson provided England with a breakthrough, knocking down skipper Babar Azam who resumed the play on Day 2 along with Saud Shakeel.

Closing the first day on high at 107 for 2, the disastrous batting display left Pakistan trailing by 79 runs, diluting the heroics played by Abrar Ahmed who took seven wickets to contain England to 281 in the first innings.

After a relatively calm first six overs in which Babar and Saud added 35 runs to jack up their overnight partnership to 91, Robinson had his man in his first over, dislodging the skipper on 75 from 95 balls.

Saud soon followed the suit after scoring his consecutive Test fifty and fell prey to Jack Leach, who registered his 100th Test with the dismissal.

Wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, however, looked cagey when he took 28 deliveries to open his account and scored just 6 off 41 before he tried to take on Leach. After hitting a four down the ground, he was beaten by a dipping ripper that crashed the stumps.

The lower order, however, proved a much easier task for England to get the job done before Lunch as Mohammad Nawaz, Agha Salman, Mohammad Ali and Zahid Mahmood were removed in quick successions with part-timer Joe Root claiming two wickets in an over.

All-rounder Faheem Asharaf tried to resist a bit on the last wicket as he hit four boundaries to score 22 before Mark Wood ended his stay.

MULTAN: Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed, who made headlines in his dream Test debut; picking up seven wickets — five of which came in the first session — chose Ben Stokes’ wicket as his favourite.

Abrar, while talking at the post-match press conference after the conclusion of Day 1 of the ongoing Multan Test responded to a question regarding his favourite wicket among the seven wickets he took in his debut Test.

“As I said before making my debut, Joe Root and Ben Stokes’ wicket would be my favourite and by the will of almighty Allah, I was able to achieve it,” said Abrar.

“Meanwhile, I can not describe my happiness in words,” he maintained.

Regarding his goal for the second innings, Abrar shared that he is eyeing to take another five-fer in the second innings.

“Yes, I have a goal for the second innings and that is to take another five-fer and with my performance, my team wins,” Abrar stated.

“International cricket is a bit different but if you keep hitting good areas, it would eventually reward you in the form of wickets,” he maintained.

The debutant then went on to respond to a question regarding how former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed gave him confidence in first-class cricket and stated that the latter has always motivated him.

“Yeah, I have a really good relationship with Saifi bhai, he’s really close to me. So, he was guiding me that whenever I will play, I should not get nervous and perform the way I did for Sindh,” shared Abrar.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan skipper Babar Azam raised a valiant half-century to anchor Pakistan to 107/2 at the stumps on the opening day after Abrar stormed through the English batting line-up, who claimed his maiden five-wicket haul and played a significant role in restricting England to 281.

READ: Babar, Saud solid after debutant Abrar cracks England on Day 1 in Multan

MULTAN: Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed stormed through the England batting line with astounding seven wickets on his debut Test to help Pakistan bundle out the visiting side on 281 on the opening day of the second Test, here at Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday. 

The 24-year-old becomes the third Pakistani bowler after Mohammad Nazir and Mohammad Nazir to take seven scalps on a maiden Test. His magical bowling effectively derailed England’s intent to continue their batting tempo of the Rawalpindi Test.

After Abrar struck down the seven wickets of England’s solid batting line, fellow spinner Zahid Mahmood ran through the lower order as the two shared ten wickets between them on a spinning track.

Opting to bat first, England tried to continue their momentum from the previous game, where they scored a record 506/4 on the opening day, but a mystery unleashed by Pakistan in form of Abrar had other plans.

A brilliant googly in the very first over which clean bowled last match centurion Zak Crawley on 19 from 37 balls had nearly set the stage for the new entrant.

Duckett and Pope, however, nullified the early scare and went with the full throttle as the two gathered 79 runs from just 61 balls before Abrar provided the breakthrough. He plumbed Duckett, who looked in sublime form on 63 off 49, while he was attempting to sweep with a successful call from Babar Azam to review the umpire’s original decision of not out.

At 117 for 2 in 19 overs, England looked indifferent and tried to continue the tempo with Joe Root, their best bid against spin, on the crease but a big leg break knock him down with a successful Pakistan review once again.

He then went on to hunt Pope at 60 and completed his five-wicket haul with Harry Brook’s miscued shot at mid-off which ended in the hands of Mohammad Nawaz.

Captain Ben Stokes, however, was left awe-struck after the break when a wrong one by the youngster knocked the stumps with an incredibly googly.

Will Jacks soon followed the suit as Abrar struck him down on 31 off 44 after he stitched a 61-run stand with skipper Stokes in the post-lunch session.

Mark Wood played an unbeaten knock of 36 off 27 lower down the order while the wickets kept on falling as Mahmood hunt down the tailenders Ollie Robinson Jack Leach and James Anderson.