Tag: Pakistan vs England

Legendary Pakistan batter Zaheer Abbas has criticised national white-ball captain Babar Azam over his recent form and demanded his removal from the squad.

Babar has been under tight scrutiny due to his below-par performances recently, the highlight of which was his dismal run in the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh.

He crashed out of the top ten list in the ICC Test Batting Rankings after a forgettable home series against Bangladesh, where he managed 64 runs in four innings.

He last crossed the 50-run mark in red-ball cricket back in December 2022 against New Zealand with a marathon 161-run knock. Since then, he has played 16 innings with a highest score of 39 against Sri Lanka in July 2023.

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Zaheer Abbas, during an appearance on a sports talk show in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), questioned his place in the team owing to his dismal performances.

“Babar Azam should be dropped from the team,” Abbas said. “If he’s not scoring runs, because if he’s our main batsman and he’s out of form, he should be out of the team.”

However, Pakistan’s team management has shown faith in the star batter and backed him for the upcoming Test series against England, starting from 7 October in Multan.

Pakistan squad for first Test against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mehmood.

WATCH: Iftikhar Ahmed blames journalists for ‘ruining cricket’

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood threw his weight behind the players ahead of a “crucial” three-match Test series against England, scheduled to commence on October 7.

Masood, while addressing a press conference just days before the first home Test against England, reflected on his side’s performances in the recent outings particularly the recent two-match home series against Bangladesh, during which the touring party made history by clinching their first-ever Test series win over Pakistan.

“The losses hurt, but it’s important to support the team, especially during tough times,” Masood said.

The Pakistan captain, however, emphasized the need to back the players, especially after losses, terming it essential for long-term success.

“It’s easy to make changes after a loss, but if we want to move forward, we must back our players,” Masood stated.

The left-handed batter also shared that the preparations for the recently concluded Champions One-Day Cup provided valuable insights into the players’ fitness level.

“We’ve learned a lot about our physical and mental condition, and it’s clear that improvements are needed,” stated Masood.

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“If Pakistan want to become a top Test side, we need to significantly improve both physical and mental fitness. Our conditioning should be on par with other top teams in the world,” he added.

Shan Masood, who assumed Pakistan’s Test captaincy in November 2023, is yet to win a match as the skipper, shared it feels “terrible” when the team loses.

“As a captain, it feels terrible when the team loses. It wasn’t the ideal start, but accountability comes with defeat,” Masood stated.

Pakistan squad for first Test against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mehmood.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday, unveiled the ticket prices for the upcoming three-match Test series between Pakistan and England.

According to the cricketing body, the tickets for the upcoming series will go on sale today online today from 1700 PST at PCB.tcs.com.pk.

Additionally, in order to facilitate fans, the physical tickets will be available to purchase from different outlets from 4 October after 0900am.

The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, with the first and second Test matches to be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium (MCS) from 7 to 19 October. The third Test match will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium (RCS) from 24 to 28 October.

To encourage fans to come in large numbers, the entrance to the General enclosures (Hanif Muhammad and Mushtaq Ahmed) will be free on the opening day of both Test matches in Multan.

Furthermore, entry to the premium enclosures (Miran Baksh, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir and Yasir Arafat) will also be free for the first day of the Rawalpindi Test.

For the first Test, from Tuesday to Thursday (Day 2, 3 and 4), General enclosure tickets will be priced at PKR 50, while the fans can buy Hanif Muhammad and Mushtaq Ahmed enclosures tickets for PKR 100 on the fifth and final day. For First-class enclosures (Wasim Akram and Elahi Brothers), tickets will be available at PKR 100 for four days of the first Test, while the tickets will cost PKR 200 for fans witnessing the action on the fifth day. For Premium enclosures (Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas), tickets will be available for PKR 200 each from Monday to Thursday (Day 1, 2,3 and 4), while fans can witness fifth day’s action from the same enclosures for PKR 300.

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VIP Enclosures (Fazal Mahmood and Imran Khan) and PCB Gallery (Inzamam ul Haq) tickets will be available for fans for PKR 300 and PKR 2,000, respectively for first four days of the first Test match. On the fifth day, VIP enclosures tickets will be available at PKR 400 and PCB Gallery (Inzamam ul Haq enclosure) tickets will be available at PKR 2,500. PCB Gallery ticket includes lunch as well.

For the second Test match between Pakistan and England, scheduled to be played from 15 to 19 October at the same venue, tickets of general enclosures for Wednesday and Thursday (Day 2 and 3), will be available at PKR 50, while general enclosures tickets for the fourth and fifth day’s play will be available at PKR 100.

For first-class and premium enclosures, fans can purchase tickets at PKR 100 and PKR 200, respectively for first three days of the Test match. For fourth and fifth day’s action, tickets of first-class and premium enclosures will be accessible to fans at PKR 200 and PKR 300, respectively.

For fans willing to watch action from VIP enclosures and PCB Gallery can get tickets for PKR 300 and PKR 2,000, respectively for the first three days of the Test, while for both places, tickets on Friday and Saturday (Day 4 and 5), will be available at PKR 400 and PKR 2,500, respectively.

For the third Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, entry to premium enclosures (Miran Baksh, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir and Yasir Arafat) will be free on the opening day. For the second day, the tickets of the premium enclosures will be available at PKR 200, while for the remaining days of the third Test, the premium enclosures tickets will be available to fans at PKR 300. VIP enclosures (Imran Khan and Javed Miandad) tickets will cost PKR 400 for the first two days and PKR 500 for the remaining days.

The seats at the PCB Gallery, which includes lunch as well, will be available at PKR 2,000 for action on Thursday and Friday (Day 1 and 2), while on the remaining days of the Test match, fans can purchase gallery tickets for PKR 2,500.

READ: Pakistan to hold training camp for England Tests from 2 October

Jason Gillespie, the head coach of Pakistan’s red-ball team, has acknowledged that his team need to be ruthless in the upcoming Test series against England.

The three-match series between Pakistan and England will run from October 7 to 28 and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

It’s worth noting that this will be Pakistan’s second Test series under Jason Gillespie. In his first series as the red-ball head coach, the Green Shirts suffered a disappointing 2-0 series loss at the hands of Bangladesh.

During an appearance at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast, Gillespie expressed his disappointment over the series loss against Bangladesh.

“We showed glimpses of quality in the Test series against Bangladesh, where we were really driving the game forward. However, we didn’t sustain it long enough,” he stated.

“When we allowed our opponents to get back into the game, they capitalized and pulled ahead. That’s where we let ourselves down.”

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The former Australian fast bowler emphasized the importance of the Green Shirts adopting a relentless and aggressive approach to their cricket.

“What we need is a bit more ruthlessness. When we’re ahead, we need to stay ahead and make sure we drive home that advantage,” he stressed.

Jason Gillespie also defended the selection of Pakistan’s squad for the first Test against England. He emphasized the importance of backing players and maintaining stability in the team rather than implementing drastic changes.

“The players understand my philosophy regarding selection. We want to back and support them. Of course, if performances are not at the required level over a prolonged period, we may consider changes,” he shared

READ: Pakistan to hold training camp for England Tests from 2 October

The Pakistan men’s cricket team will kick off their training camp on 2 October for the upcoming first Test against England, which will be played in Multan from 7 October.

Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood will hold a pre-series press conference at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on 30 September (tomorrow).

Following that, Pakistan’s Test squad will assemble in Multan on 1 October where they will hold training sessions from 2 October. The first session will be held from 12:00 PM, where players will undergo rigorous batting, bowling and fielding training.

Meanwhile, the England men’s cricket team will arrive in the wee hours of 2 October. The visiting team will take a day’s rest before hitting the nets on 4 October to prepare for the three-match Test series.

The training camps of both teams will end on 6 October.

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The three-match series between Pakistan and England will run from October 7 to 28 and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

It’s worth noting that the second Test, which was originally planned at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 15-19 October, will now be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

The match has been shifted as the National Bank Stadium is undergoing a major facelift for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The remaining two Tests will be played as originally planned, i.e. 7-11 October in Multan and 24-28 October in Rawalpindi.

Squads:

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

England: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

READ: Spinners shine as Sri Lanka complete clean sweep over New Zealand

Pakistan Test cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has criticised Pakistan’s Test head coach Jason Gillespie over the lack of changes in the squad for the series against England.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday, announced a 15-member squad for the first Test against England. However, the squad carried almost the same players that lost the Test series 2-0 to Bangladesh recently.

Jason Gillespie defended the squad while commentating during the Champions One-Day Cup Eliminator 1 between the Lions and Stallions on Wednesday.

“We do not want to make any hasty decisions after one bad series. All these players are skilled; no one loses their ability overnight. A couple of poor series cannot define their potential,” Gillespie said.

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However, the statement did not sit well with Ahmed Shehzad. He criticised Gillespie, in a video on his social media accounts, over not dropping the players who have been failing consistently.

“To clarify, Gillespie, we have only lost one series since you arrived, but before you, we were losing badly,” Shehzad stated.

“You need to understand that every other coach will face similar situations; when they come in and lose their first couple of series, they’ll say, ‘It was just the first couple of series; we cannot exclude players because of that.‘

However, you must recognize that you are not the only coach Pakistan has hired. There were others before you who also faced losses with the same group of players. So, I don’t understand why you’re saying all this when changes are on the horizon.”

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Leicestershire pacer Josh Hull has been ruled out of the England squad for the three-match away Test series against Pakistan, scheduled to commence on October 7.

According to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Hull suffered a quad injury, which would keep him out of the Pakistan tour.

“Josh Hull has been ruled out of our Test tour of Pakistan due to a quad injury,” said ECB in a brief statement on social media.

The 20-year-old pacer made his Test debut for England earlier this month in the third Test of the three-match series against Sri Lanka.

The towering 6ft 7in tall pacer picked up three wickets in the aforementioned Test before getting ruled out of the ongoing white-ball series against Australia.

Notably, England have decided not to call for a replacement.

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Hull was one of the six pacers named in England’s 17-member squad for the Pakistan tour but now joins injured Mark Wood and Josh Tongue on the sideline.

Josh Hull’s injury further complicates England’s pace attack as their captain Ben Stokes, despite being “on track” to participate in the series, is doubtful to bowl.

“I think that’s you getting ahead of yourself. Obviously I’ve been six-and-a-half weeks now of just walking and doing stuff in the gym,” said Stokes in response to a question regarding the chances of him bowling in the Pakistan Tests.

“There’s a lot more than just my hamstring that I need to get back firing and working up again in terms of bowling, because you use everything, so I need to get that all right to make sure I don’t do any damage to other parts of my body,” he added.

England squad for Pakistan Test series: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

READ: Kamindu Mendis equals Babar Azam’s Test record, goes past Saud Shakeel

LONDON: England Test captain Ben Stokes on Thursday, has been given a green signal to participate in the three-match Test series against Pakistan, scheduled to commence on October 7.

The all-rounder has been out of action since suffering a hamstring injury while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred 2024.

Stokes underwent scans on Wednesday, which indicated that he is ‘on track’ to attain match fitness for the upcoming series against Pakistan.

“The results of the scans were positive and confirmed that his recovery, since sustaining the injury six-and-a-half weeks ago, remains on track to participate in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan,” an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement said.

England are set to depart for Pakistan on October 1 with the opening Test scheduled to begin on October 7.

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Despite being on track to participate in the upcoming series, there are some doubts about whether Ben Stokes would be able to bowl.

“I think that’s you getting ahead of yourself. Obviously I’ve been six-and-a-half weeks now of just walking and doing stuff in the gym,” said Stokes in response to a question regarding the chances of him bowling in the Pakistan Tests.

“There’s a lot more than just my hamstring that I need to get back firing and working up again in terms of bowling, because you use everything, so I need to get that all right to make sure I don’t do any damage to other parts of my body,” he added.

The three-match Test series between Pakistan and England, part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), will run from October 7 to 28 with matches scheduled in Multan and Rawalpindi.

For the unversed, this will be England’s second tour of Pakistan in two years. They won the last Test series 3-0 in December 2022.

Pakistan squad for first Test against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

England squad for Pakistan Test series: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

READ: Pakistan make one addition to squad for first Test against England

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has added leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood to the squad for the first of the three-match Test series against England.

The first Test is set to take place in Multan from 7-11 October, while the training camp will commence from 1 October.

Zahid will join the team’s training camp in Multan, however, the squad will be trimmed to 15 players at the start of the first Test on October 7.

Meanwhile, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali will be reserve players, but they will continue to play in the domestic matches.

“Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali will remain on reserve but will continue playing domestic matches to stay match-ready,” the PCB said in a statement.

“All three players are part of the Pakistan Test team setup, but 15 players are sufficient for the home Test series due to cricketing and logistical reasons,” he added.

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Following the squad announcement and based on the recommendation of head coach Jason Gillespie, the selected players have been withdrawn from the Champions One-Day Cup playoffs to allow them some rest ahead of the series.

“With a busy domestic and international cricket schedule, it makes sense to give our players some much-needed rest ahead of the Test series against England,” said Gillespie.

“We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin. We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters,” he added.

Pakistan Squad for first England Test:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mahmood.

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FAISALABAD: Pakistan’s Test head coach Jason Gillespie on Wednesday, opened up about the future of veteran wicket-keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed in the national team.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday, announced a 15-member squad for the first Test against England, which marked the return of fast bowling all-rounder Aamir Jamal and left-arm spinner Noman Ali.

Sarfaraz, who served as the mentor for the Dolphins in the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup, retained his place in the squad as the backup wicket-keeper alongside Mohammad Rizwan.

However, during the Champions One-Day Cup Eliminator 1 between Lions and Stallions, Jason Gillespie highlighted Sarfaraz’s growing age and the need to give chances to young wicketkeepers.

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“Sarfaraz [Ahmed] has always been a wonderful servant, leading the team very well. However, we know Sarfaraz is not getting any younger, and at some point, we need to start exploring and offering opportunities to other players,” Gillespie said.

Moreover, Gillespie was also asked about the exclusion of Kamran Ghulam from the Test squad.

Gillespie acknowledged Ghulam’s performances in domestic cricket and also for Pakistan Shaheens on their tour to Darwin but emphasized showing faith in the current squad.

“I saw him perform with Pakistan Shaheens in Darwin. His form has been acknowledged, but we’re showing faith and patience in our current squad,” said Gillespie.

Pakistan Squad for first England Test:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

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