Abrar Ahmed

Pakistan will need to bat out the last day to avoid defeat in the first Test after New Zealand gained the upper hand Thursday through a masterly undefeated double-hundred by <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/4330/kane-williamson/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kane Williamson</a> in Karachi.Trailing by 174 runs after the first innings, Pakistan finished the fourth day on a precarious 77-2, with <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63084/imam-ul-haq/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Imam-ul-Haq</a> on 45 and nightwatchman <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/14291/nauman-ali/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nauman Ali</a> four.Pakistan have lost their last four Tests -- including a first-ever 3-0 whitewash at the hands of England -- and are now 97 runs behind with eight wickets intact.The home team&#39;s task of salvaging a draw shouldn&#39;t ordinarily be onerous on a National Stadium pitch that has not so far taken sharp turn, but their propensity for middle-order collapses recently has given New Zealand the sniff of victory.Opener <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/65728/abdullah-shafique/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abdullah Shafiqu</a>e was the first wicket to fall as he played an injudicious lofted shot off spinner Michael Bracewell, and was caught at mid-on for 17.Then <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/11754/shan-masood/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shan Masood</a> was adjudged leg before off <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/57625/ish-sodhi/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ish Sodhi</a> for 10 before Haq and Nauman saw off the day.Earlier, Williamson&#39;s unbeaten double century enabled the visitors to declare their first innings on 612-9 -- a good 174-run lead over Pakistan&#39;s 438.Williamson reached 200 with a single off spinner <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66884/abrar-ahmed/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abrar Ahmed</a>, batting for ten hours and striking 21 boundaries and a six in an innings which saw him overturn two leg-before decisions on 13 and 116.He also survived two stumpings off spinner Nauman on 15 and 21. Resuming on 440-6, Williamson and Sodhi defied Pakistan&#39;s bowling in the first session as the pair took the total to 595 before their seventh wicket stand was broken.Sodhi was caught off Ahmed for 65 to better his previous best, also against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2018. <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/4235/tim-southee/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tim Southee</a> and Neil Wagner fell without scoring as New Zealand lost three wickets in the space of two runs, but last-man Ajaz Patel held his ground to help Williamson reach the milestone.Ahmed finished with 5-205 -- his second five-wicket haul -- while Nauman Ali took 3-185.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Pakistan will look to bat out the final day of the first Test after New Zealand took a substantial lead of 174 runs

Kane Williamson

Imam-ul-Haq

New Zealand tour of Pakistan, 2022/23

New Zealand

Pakistan

Williamson's double ton puts Pakistan in survival mode

A 17-year wait for England has ended in a very fruitful way. They not only won the series, but also went on to sweep their opponents in their backyard.Batting was the highlight in this series for England. However, their bowling effort has to be commended. The English bowlers picked up 59 wickets at an average of 31.5 as compared to 42.86 by Pakistan (46) bowlers.To be precise, England&rsquo;s approach while batting was the bigger difference. Throughout the series, they scored at 5.5 runs per over. Here is a look at some of the stats from this match as well as the series:Clean sweep in their backyardBeing a non-sub-continent nation team, beating an Asian team in their backyard, is itself an overwhelming achievement, and England have achieved this feat.As for Pakistan, this series would be the most humiliating one for them at home. In their history of Test cricket, this is the first time they have been whitewashed on home soil. Unfortunately, Babar Azam&rsquo;s captaincy career has been tainted with this deflating record.Adding salt to their wound, England managed to achieve this feat in a venue in which Pakistan had built a fortress. At the National Stadium Karachi, Pakistan had lost only two matches in 44 prior to the third Test, making this their third loss. Interestingly, two out of the three have come against England. The other one came in 2000.In Tests, this was the fourth clean sweep affected by England in away Test series. By virtue of this, they now have affected the most white-washes in away series for a Team in Tests. Australia had three to their name. England&rsquo;s other three white-wash came against South Africa in 1895/96, against New Zealand in 1962/63 and against Sri Lanka in 2018/19.Blasting their way throughFrom the last six months, the biggest interest in Test cricket has been &lsquo;Bazball&rsquo;. At the start of the series, Stokes mentioned that there won&rsquo;t be an attempt for a draw, even if it costs England a game or two. In this series it was evident by the way they scored their runs.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671553985557-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Throughout the series they maintained a run rate of 5.5. In a three or match series, no team before had scored at a run rate of above 5. Even in the first series under the mentorship of Brendon McCullum, against New Zealand, they had scored at a run 4.5. In fact, in all the three series (excluding India match) they have played, they have scored at a run rate of over four.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671553957295-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Not only this series, throughout the year, England have scored at a run rate of 4.13, which is the best for any team. Adding further, they have hit 89 sixes this year, which is also the most by a team in a calendar year of Tests. Taking Tests to another level!England&rsquo;s switcheroo in 2022The year 2022 has been a turnaround year for England in Tests. In the year 2021, England had played the same number of Tests as 2022 (15), but had won four Tests and lost nine. In this century, in a year in which they had played 10+ Tests, their win/loss ratio of 0.444 in 2021 was their worst.But, they have turned it on big time this year. In those 15 Tests, England lost only three and won nine. Overall, their nine wins this year is the joint-second most wins for them in Tests. In 2010 as well, they had nine wins in 14 matches. Their best year in Tests was in 2004, when they won 11 out of 13 without a loss.This year, under Stokes captaincy, England have won nine out of the 10 matches played. Their only loss under his captaincy came against South Africa in the Lord&rsquo;s Test.Harry Brook seizes the opportunityIn the absence of Jonny Bairstow, Brook was confirmed to get a match in all three matches. The best thing was that he made use of it all and cemented his spot irrespective of Bairstow&#39;s presence or absence.In all the three matches, Brook smashed a century. Throughout the series, he scored 468 runs at an average of 93.6 and a strike rate of 93.4. With three centuries, Brook joined an elite list of two other England players to hit three tons in a series in Asia. Ken Barrington and Sir Alistair Cook against India in 1961 and 2012, are the other two.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671554020783-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">More to his glory, Brook is also the third England batter after Barrington in 1967 against Pakistan and Graham Gooch in 1990 against India to hit three 100s in a three-match series. Barrington and Gooch achieved this feat in the home series. &nbsp;&nbsp;Abrar Ahmed, a bright prospect for the futureIn Tests nowadays, leg spinners are hardly found in a team. Since the retirement of the legendary Shane Warne, the void for leg spinners is mostly filled by Pakistan in Tests. Danish Kaneria for some time, Yasir Shah and now Abrar Ahmed.In his first two matches, Abrar managed to puzzle the England batters. However, his efforts weren&rsquo;t enough to help Pakistan win the series. His 17 wickets in the first two matches are the most for a Pakistani bowler in Tests. No other bowler has more than 15 wickets in the first two matches.A young talent for England in the spin departmentIt was a memorable debut for Rehan Ahmed. After becoming the youngest Test cricketer to debut for England, he went on to become the youngest ever debutant to pick a five-wicket haul.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671555939260-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">In the second innings of the third Test, he broke through the middle order of Pakistan and derailed them from 164/3 to 216/10. At the age of 18 years and 126 days (start of match day considered), he pipped Pat Cummins (18 years and 193 days). Adding further, he became the first ever England teenager to bag a five-wicket haul in international cricket.A costly series for Zahid MahmoodBefore Abrar, Zahid Mahmood earned his cap. Unlike his partner, Mahmood had to endure a horrendous series.In the two matches he played, he bowled 62.3 overs and bagged 12 wickets. Just the wickets don&rsquo;t tell the story. In those overs, he conceded at an economy of 6.94. Among bowlers with 50+ overs in a series, his economy is the worst for any.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Here are some noteworthy stats from the third Test between Pakistan and England in Karachi

Harry Brook

Rehan Ahmed

Zahid Mahmood

Ben Stokes

England tour of Pakistan, 2022

England

Stats: ENG breach Karachi fortress to hand PAK their first home whitewash

It&rsquo;s an understatement to say that Pakistan&rsquo;s Test cricket is going through its worst phase. They are yet to win a Test all year &ndash; two draws and a defeat to Australia followed by three straight losses to England. The 3-0 whitewash against England was their first ever in Tests at home and have now lost four Tests in a row for the first time ever. <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/59429/babar-azam" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Babar Azam</a>&rsquo;s stint as the red-ball captain has surely lost its effectiveness and their fans and media will go after him. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in a tough predicament as they were unable to provide good pitches after years of lobbying for other teams to tour their nation.England, on the other hand, once again proved they are as formidable on placid sub-continental pitches as they were in seaming English surfaces. Their bowlers hunted in packs and their batting had enough firepower to totally outclass Pakistan. They did not have Jonny Bairstow and Stuart Broad for the series and claimed all 20 wickets in the final Test at Karachi without stalwart <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3430/james-anderson" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">James Anderson</a>. They have now won nine of their 10 Tests under <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/10130/ben-stokes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ben Stokes</a> and Brendon McCullum and its difficult to predict what other records they will break when they play South Africa next year.It has been a series to introspect and learn for the home team and an unforgettable one for the visitors. Here are some key observations:Pakistan&rsquo;s second innings woes<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671533208867-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">268 all out, 328 all out and 216 all out &ndash; these are Pakistan&rsquo;s second innings totals in this series. While numerically there is nothing substantial about those, Pakistan&rsquo;s collapses are. They lost their last five wickets for nine runs in Rawalpindi, 38 runs in Multan and 39 runs in Karachi. In the previous series against Australia, they also lost their final five wickets for just 22 runs in the lost Lahore Test. Besides Saud Shakeel&#39;s three consecutive fifties in the second innings, their top order snowballed regularly. Babar and <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/65728/abdullah-shafique" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abdullah Shafique</a>, their in-form batters, managed a combined tally of 136 runs in the second innings for this series.Their middle order composition has varied vastly, but the pattern has remained the same. They have no effective batter at No.6 and No.7 who can compensate for the top order and protect the tail. Except for <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/20286/mohammad-rizwan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mohammad Rizwan</a>&rsquo;s 104 not out against Australia in the draw at Karachi, none of the batters have scored a fifty besides <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/64078/agha-salman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Agha Salman</a>. The 29-year old is new to the international scene, but it is difficult to see him retain his position in the team as a pure batter. Besides his two fifties in this series, he often failed to build partnerships while batting in these positions. With Azhar Ali calling it time on his international career, there might be promotions for others, but their lower-middle order is a chasm of problems that needs an overhaul.England and Pakistan find future leggiesIf there is a silver lining for Pakistan in this series, it has to be leg spinner <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66884/abrar-ahmed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abrar Ahmed</a>. Cricket pundits were scratching their heads why the team management benched him for the Pindi Test and handed a debut to <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/21562/zahid-mahmood" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zahid Mahmood</a> who finished 4-235 in his debut innings and conceded runs at 7.12. Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq called it kudrat (fate) that Abrar didn&rsquo;t get his chance. But as soon as he got his chance, Abrar became the hosts&rsquo; main weapon. The 23-year old finished as the top-wickettaker of this series with 17 scalps, which includes a 7-114 in his debut innings in Multan. Saqlain is now left to think the what-ifs of playing Abrar in the first Test where England had four centurions.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671533888405-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">It seems like nothing can go wrong with Bazball. In a long list of right things done under the new leadership, they called up teenage legspinner Rehan Ahmed for the series. Rehan, son of a Pakistan-born allrounder, became England&rsquo;s youngest men&rsquo;s Test player at 18 years and 125 days when he replaced Will Jacks in the Karachi Test.&nbsp;The youngster&rsquo;s early jitters were evident as he bowled some loose balls in his 2-89 in the first innings and had fumbled few stops while fielding. Stokes deserves all credit for holding back Rehan until lunch on the third day. He threw the ball to the teenager at the right time and Pakistan were unable to contain him. His 5-48 included the wickets of Babar and Saud Shakeel, Pakistan&rsquo;s best batters in the match. For long, England have struggled with finding a quality second spinner when touring sub-continent and Rehan&rsquo;s arrival might just be the answer.Where are Pakistan&rsquo;s pace reserves?With Shaheen Afridi injured in the T20 World Cup final, Pakistan thought they did the right thing to hand a Test debut to <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/70326/haris-rauf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Haris Rauf</a>. Unfortunately, his debut lasted for 13 overs and 34 uncomfortable balls as a batter in both innings as he suffered a freak thigh injury while fielding. Adding to their woes, teenage pace sensation <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/69956/naseem-shah" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Naseem Shah</a> was out with a shoulder injury. In the remaining two &nbsp;Tests, Pakistan&rsquo;s fabled pace department looked out of depth and ideas. Mohammad Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Wasim Jr managed to get a single wicket across four innings while conceding at nearly 5 RPO.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671534027975-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">In the same time, England have made use of Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson and <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3430/james-anderson" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">James Anderson</a> (at Multan) and snared 15 wickets on dead tracks. While the visiting pacers were used in short bursts, there was a discipline and purpose to their spells. Pakistan, who had only fast bowlers to make up numbers, failed miserably. It&rsquo;s a tough pill to swallow for the hosts, who have historically produced an unending line of fast bowlers, but looked stripped to the bone by the absence of three.Have Pakistan forgotten to play spin?Over the years, Pakistan, along with India and Sri Lanka, have produced some of the best players of spin bowling. Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez are a small list of Pakistani batters who have dominated spinners in the sub-continent. In this series, it&rsquo;s not just the England batters who have bucked the trend, but Pakistan batters have regressed.England were nimble on their feet and used the sweep, reverse sweep, paddle, scoop and the inside-out loft to a great effect. Though they have lost 16 wickets against spinners while attempting these shots, they have plundered 330 runs in the process. <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/67258/zak-crawley" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zak Crawley</a>, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63082/ben-duckett" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ben Duckett</a>, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66374/harry-brook" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harry Brook</a>, Ollie Pope, Ben Stokes repeatedly got to the pitch of the ball and scored freely.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671534998461-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">On the other hand, Pakistan batters barely attempted these shots which resulted in just 177 runs across six innings. While there is an argument that Pakistan avoided risky strokes and lost only two wickets to these shots, most of their batters remained flat footed on turning tracks. A total of 38 wickets off the total 60 wickets fell to England&#39;s spinners. The prime example being Abdullah Shafique&rsquo;s copy+paste dismissals in the third Test against Jack Leach&rsquo;s straight delivery. Twice, the opener failed to play across the line and was trapped leg before. If Pakistan are to do well against New Zealand next, playing spin is another area of concern.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Here are the talking points from England's record 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan

Ollie Pope

Ben Duckett

Babar Azam

Agha Salman

Abdullah Shafique

From Pakistan's multitude of problems to England's unwavering aggression

England have continued their sensational form in the Test format under Ben Stokes by sealing the series in Pakistan 2-0. However, that might not be enough for them as they aim for a clean sweep by winning the third Test in Karachi.Pakistan folded twice while chasing reasonably good totals and they need some big contributions from their lower-middle order if they are to get a consolation win.Ground DetailsThe National Stadium in Karachi has hosted three Tests since 2019. Pakistan and Australia drew the latest Test at the venue in March, but the previous two against South Africa and Sri Lanka were won by the home team.In these matches, the average first innings score has been 322, which is much higher than the score of 266 in the second innings. Average fourth innings score has been 248 which indicates the batting challenges on the surface as the match progresses.There isn&rsquo;t much to differentiate between spinners and pacers. Pacers have bagged a slightly higher number of wickets (51) across 12 innings as compared to spinners&#39; 38. In terms of average and bowling strike rate, the difference is not too big. Pacers have averaged 34 and picked up a wicket every 64.2 balls as compared to 41.8 and 85.6 by spinners.Suggested team<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671195523548-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from <a href="https://www.cricket.com/fantasy-research-center/219766/pak-vs-eng-3rd-test-england-tour-of-pakistan-2022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cricket.com&rsquo;s Fantasy Research Centre</a>. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.Captaincy suggestionsFor small leagues: Abrar Ahmed (c), Zak Crawley (vc)For grand leagues: Abdullah Shafique (c), Jack Leach (vc)Stats that matter- <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66884/abrar-ahmed/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abrar Ahmed</a>&#39;s Test call up is no fluke. The legspinner has claimed a stunning tally of 60 wickets from nine matches at an average of 19.6 in the Qaid-e-Azam Trophy. He is clearly Pakistan&#39;s best bowling option in the final Test.- <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/67258/zak-crawley/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zak Crawley</a> is enjoying his best series in the last 24 months. This is the first time he has scored a fifty and a hundred in the same series. His only other better series was also against Pakistan during the home series in 2020 where he registered his career-best score of 267 not out.- Though this not England&#39;s first Test series win against Pakistan, they have more than one Test in the Asian nation for the first time. They now have the chance to make it a cleansweep to set a new precedent.Grand league punts- Despite his failures in this series, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/65728/abdullah-shafique/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abdullah Shafique</a> averages 70.5 while batting in the fourth innings. The last time the opener batted at the National Stadium in Karachi, he helped Pakistan earn a draw against Australia with 96 in 305 balls.- <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3430/james-anderson/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">James Anderson</a> is miles ahead of every England bowler who has ever toured the sub-continent. The seam-bowling legend has 82 wickets in Asia from 28 Tests at an average of 26.8. Against Pakistan, he has 30 wickets on the flat surfaces and a superb average of 20 from 16 innings.Here are the Top 10 Criclytics Projections<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671192066151-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Line-ups:England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Rehan Ahmed, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Jack Leach.Pakistan XI (Predicted): Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Zahid Mahmood, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Here are a few tips that will help you create your fantasy XI for the third Test between Pakistan and England in Karachi

Zak Crawley

Jack Leach

Fantasy: Expect spinners to flourish in Karachi

Brendon McCullum himself can call it silly, but his &lsquo;Bazball&rsquo; is now a part of the cricketing lexicon. Condensing a revolutionary mentality to a nickname might be over simplification, but the current England Test side under McCullum and <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/10130/ben-stokes/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ben Stokes</a> have truly set a standard within a few months. In the eight Tests they have been in charge, England have won seven and lost one &ndash; not a sliver of thought to draw matches. While they kick-started the new era with three 275-plus chases and one chase of 378 at home, they are now proving to be equally effective while defending targets below 400.Touring Pakistan for the first time in 17 years, Stokes&rsquo; men not only wrapped up the series 2-0 but have done so by playing cricket that every fan can appreciate. They now stand on the cusp of turning their first-ever Test series win on Pakistan soil into a landmark series sweep at the Karachi National Stadium.Despite losing the series, there is not much wrong with Pakistan from an overall perspective. They fought for a possible draw until the final ray of light faded at Rawalpindi and came close to drawing level at Multan. Just that <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/59429/babar-azam/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Babar Azam</a>&rsquo;s men weren&rsquo;t as persistent when push came to shove.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671153583965-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">To be fair, they kept losing their lead pacers &ndash; Shaheen Afridi before the series began, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah after the first Test. It is difficult to find a new approach when you keep losing key personnel and lose three Tests in a row at home. Despite that, they have managed to pick up 37 of the 40 possible wickets across both Tests, and the grand debut of legspinner <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66884/abrar-ahmed/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abrar Ahmed</a> (11-234 at an average of 21.27) is a good sign.Despite all the chat about the &lsquo;mystery&rsquo; in Abrar&rsquo;s bowling, England very well know that there is a youngster who is disciplined with his lengths and can get the ball to spit off the surface in unexpected moments. Besides Abrar, the bluntness of another legspinner <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/21562/zahid-mahmood/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zahid Mahmood</a> is a worry for Pakistan. He might be the leading wicket-taker of this series with 12 scalps, but the 34-year-old has an economy of 6.94 after bowling 62 odd Test overs. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz has played a good supporting role while Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Ali making up the numbers in the pace department. Pakistan will have to find a strategy that can make Abrar&#39;s work easier.Despite the deep flaws in bowling, Pakistan will need to patch up their bleeding lower order which has capitulated twice in the fourth innings. They lost their last five wickets for nine runs in Rawalpindi and for 37 runs in Multan. It boils down to the profligacy of their middle order from No. 4-7. They have lost a wicket every 80 balls, which is far better than England&rsquo;s middle order losing a wicket every 43 balls. However, England have batted at a scored at a rate of 5.8 RPO and added almost the same amount of runs by playing less than half the amount of balls.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1671153319290-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The likes of <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/64153/saud-shakeel/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Saud Shakeel</a>, Nawaz and Imam-Ul-Haq (in Multan) did show some positivity in patches, but they have been rattled and dismissed in crucial moments. <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/65728/abdullah-shafique/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abdullah Shafique</a> and Babar have looked better than the others, but their combined contribution of 56 runs in the second innings took the bite out of Pakistan&rsquo;s batting.For England, meanwhile, this series has been more than just a couple of performances. They don&rsquo;t have Ben Foakes, Stuart Broad and Jonny Bairstow, but their heavy metal tempo hasn&rsquo;t dropped a bit.Mark Wood did wonders on a placid pitch with his raw pace and bounce, Ollie Robinson doesn&rsquo;t look like he was out for 10 months, and <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3430/james-anderson/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">James Anderson</a> is as good as ever. <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/57677/jack-leach/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jack Leach</a> led the bowling pack, which has allowed young Will Jacks to be potent.In Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, England seem to have finally found their opening pair, while <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66374/harry-brook/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harry Brook</a> is looking imperious in just his second Test series. <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/10129/joe-root/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joe Root</a> and Stokes have added enough runs to bind the building blocks of their success in the sub-continent. When one had an off day, two others have taken up the responsibility. It is like the Musketeer&#39;s oath of &ldquo;One for all and all for one&rdquo;. Against a team like that, Pakistan will need to resist being triggered for a long time.Predicted XIsPakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Zahid Mahmood, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali.England:&nbsp;Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Will Jacks, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, Mark Wood, James Anderson.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Dominant England will be looking for a 3-0 sweep at Karachi as Pakistan will look to make up for their fourth innings failures

Saud Shakeel

Mohammad Nawaz

Pakistan out to fix batting frailties against marauding England

England under <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/10130/ben-stokes/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ben Stokes</a> are on a roll. With the win in Multan, they have now won eight out of their last nine games, including taking an unassailable 2-0 series lead. This is England first Test series win in Pakistan since 2000, led by Nasser Hussain.England&#39;s attacking brand of cricket helped them secure a 74-run win in the first Test in Rawalpindi and in Multan, they fought hard to eke out a closely-fought 26-run win after they set the hosts 355.Pakistan seemed to be in the contest but a couple of quick strikes by Mark Wood before lunch put them on the back foot.&nbsp;Stokes acknowledges that his team was fortunate that the cracks opened up brining the fast bowlers into play on an otherwise turning track.&quot;Take a look at the conditions, it was a tricky wicket for slower bowling. We were fortunate that with the cracks opening up our seamers became effective,&quot; Stokes said at the post-match presentation.&quot;Jimmy [Anderson], Robbo [Robinson] and Woody [Wood] put in a seriously good effort, so hats off to the lads. The way they bowled throughout the game, they looked a huge threat. When it came down to the wire I had three guys to turn to. They bowled short spells and always seemed to pick up a wicket when needed.&quot;<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The winning moment 🎉 🇵🇰 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvENG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvENG</a> 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 <a href="https://t.co/GmsHsQETtJ">pic.twitter.com/GmsHsQETtJ</a>&mdash; England Cricket (@englandcricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/englandcricket/status/1602234795467149314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2022</a></blockquote>Pakistan captain<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/59429/babar-azam/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Babar Azam</a>, who has now lost three Tests in a row at home said that his side&#39;s performance with the bat especially in the first innings let them down.&quot;Yes, we were not up to the mark in the first innings. We had a couple of soft dismissals. After that we had a fightback in the bowling and second innings we fight good, but unfortunately we did not finish it,&quot; Babar said after conceding the series in Multan.&quot;We have a simple plan to carry on the momentum, we had good partnerships between Imam and Saud and then Saud and Nawaz. The tail also fought well, but we didn&#39;t finish well,&quot; he added.<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66884/abrar-ahmed/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abrar Ahmed</a> scripted history, becoming only the second Pakistan bowler to pick up 11 wickets on Test debut. Babar reckons it is an encouraging start for the 24-year-old.&nbsp;&quot;Dream start for Abrar, he used conditions very well in the first innings and after that he bowled well. Good for him and the team,&quot; Babar quipped.<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66374/harry-brook/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harry Brook</a> was adjudged player of the match for a magnificent century in England&#39;s second innings to go with his 153 in the first Test. He got out cheaply in the first innings in Multan and was determined not to repeat his mistakes when he got a chance to bat again.&quot;Tried to learn from my mistake in first innings, try not to be too aggressive but still put pressure on the bowler,&quot; Brook said.&quot;No, we just wanted to go out and play our brand of cricket, put pressure o the bowler and be aggressive throughout,&quot; he added when asked about the target England had in mind.With the series already lost, Pakistan will hope for some consolation when they face England for the third and final Test at the National Stadium, Karachi from December 17 onwards.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

With the win in Multan, England have not just won eight of their nine Tests, but have also taken an unassailable 2-0 lead against Pakistan

Fortunate with cracks opening up for our seamers to be effective: Ben Stokes

Pakistan have announced squad for the three-match Test series against England, starting December 1 in Rawalpindi. Batter <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3934/fawad-alam/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fawad Alam</a>, fast bowler <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/64306/hasan-ali/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hasan Ali&nbsp;</a>and leg-spinner <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/24815/yasir-shah/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yasir Shah</a> do not make the cut in the 18-man squad, but there is a maiden call-up for 24-year-old leg-spinner <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66884/abrar-ahmed/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Abrar Ahmed</a> and fast bowler Mohammad Ali.Fawad and Hasan were part of the squad for the Sri Lanka Test series. While Fawad played just one Test, Hasan played in both those games in Galle. Leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who has 244 wickets in the format made a return to the Test squad after a year&#39;s absence in Sri Lanka has also been given the same treatment.Pakistan&#39;s premier fast bowler <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66833/shaheen-afridi/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shaheen Afridi</a>&nbsp;too is not fit to be selected, having injured himself in the T20 World Cup 2022 final against England and is recovering after undergoing an operation for appendix recently.Abrar has been picked at the back of an impressive domestic season and is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Qaid-e-Azam Trophy, that has seen him snare 43 wickets in six games for Sindh at an average of 21.95.Mohammad Ali, who plies his trade for Sindh has been among the most consistent fast bowlers in the last two seasons, icking up 56 wickets in total, with 24 coming in this season.Saud Shakeel, Haris Rauf, Zahid Mahmood and Mohammad Wasim are some of the uncapped players in the side, who will be vying for a Test cap. This will be the first time England will play Tests in Pakistan since 2005. They had played a seven-match T20I series ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022, that the English side won 4-3.&nbsp;Pakistan squad for England Tests: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali, Shan Masood, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Saud Shakeel, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz AhmedPowered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

24-year-old leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed and fast bowler Mohammad Ali receive their maiden call-ups

Mohammad Ali

Hasan Ali

Yasir Shah

Fawad Alam

Shaheen Afridi

Pakistan drop Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Yasir Shah for England Tests

An all-round performance from Peshawar Zalmi guides them to a comfortable six-wicket win over Karachi Kings in match 26 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021. Zalmi skipper Wahab Riaz led from the front with figures of 3 for 34, while 22-year-old leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was at his impressive best, finishing with 3 for 14 from his four overs.With this win, Zalmi move to second in the PSL 20201 points table with 10 points from nine matches, the Kings are in fifth place with six points from eight matches and have now lost all their three matches since PSL resumed. Chasing 109 to win, despite losing Kamran Akmal in the second over, Zalmi got off to a flying start. Hazratullah, the left-handed Afghanistan international known for his big-hitting was a treat to watch as he took the charge to the Kings&rsquo; bowlers and scored his maiden HBL PSL half-century off just 17 balls &ndash; joint fastest in the PSL history.Hazratullah contributed 84 off 39 for the second-wicket with Haider Ali (16) which helped Zalmi chased down the target for the loss of four wickets with 54 balls spare. Hazratullah top-scored with 63 off 26 smashing eight fours and four sixes. For Kings, captain Imad Wasim picked two wickets for two runs, which included a double-wicket maiden over &ndash; ninth over of the innings.&nbsp;Earlier, after being put into bat, Kings got off to an awful start as they lost Babar Azam for a first-ball duck, Martin Guptill (4), Chadwick Walton (0) inside the powerplay and were left reeling at 37 for four in the seventh over with the departure of Sharjeel Khan (25). &nbsp;At this stage Afghanistan left-hander Najibullah Zadran, who scored unbeaten 71 for Kings last night was joined by Imad Wasim.The pair stitched 30 off 43 for the fifth wicket &ndash; the best partnership in the innings. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals for Kings and at one point it seemed the defending champions would not even reach the 100-run mark. That the Kings managed to play out the 20 overs was largely due to emerging all-rounder Mohammad Abbas Afridi who top-scored with an unbeaten 18-ball 27. Afridi struck three sixes and a four as Kings ended up with 108 for nine &ndash; their lowest in the PSL history.Brief Scores:Karachi Kings&nbsp;109 for 9 in 20 overs (Abbas Afridi 27*, Sharjeel Khan 25; Abrar Ahmed 3 for 14) lost to Peshawar Zalmi&nbsp;109 for 4 in 11 overs (Hazratullah Zazai 63, Haider Ali 16; Noor Ahmad 1 for 24) by six wicketsPlayer of the match: Hazratullah Zazai(With inputs from PSL media release)(Image courtesy: PCB)Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

abrar ahmed