Pakistan ended their 11-match winless streak in Tests at home with a 132-run win against England on Multan on Friday. Spinner Noman Ali and Sajid Khan picked up all 20 wickets to help Pakistan level the series 1-1 before moving to Rawalpindi for the final face-off.
The turnaround occurred after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made wholesale changes to the selection committee after the humiliating defeat in the series opener in Multan. Led by former pacer Aaqib Javed, the committee included Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Hassan Cheema, while the captain and the head coach were stripped of their voting rights in the selection process.
The newly formed committee decided to drop Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah from the second Test, citing that the trio has been rested following a long streak of cricketing activities. However, the fans and experts are of the opinion that the sacking of Babar and others has yielded positive results for the team.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Amir has disagreed with these claims and asked people to think otherwise. Taking to microblogging site X, he wrote that the team took the field with better planning and executed them well by taking home advantage.
Yar pls yeah ghatia soch khatam karo k babar team me ni tha ya woh player ni tha to team jeet gayi .hum better planning k sath khaile home advantage liya or jeet gaye. pls personal na hn apne player’s k sath yes performance base ap bat Karen but pls personal na hn.— Mohammad Amir (@iamamirofficial) October 18, 2024
Captain Shan Masood hailed Pakistan’s second Test win over England in Multan on Friday as a ‘relief’ but warned his team’s dire recent record would take a long time to turn around.
“This was a very important win for Pakistan cricket. The recent results were unacceptable. There is relief, whether you ask cricketers or fans,” said Masood.
“We were hurt after recent results and wanted a positive result, which has come here,” he said. “We need to carry this forward because things will not change overnight,” he added.
Noman finished with a match haul of 11-147 while Sajid had figures of 9-204, only the second time in Pakistan’s history that two bowlers took all 20 wickets in a Test. Friday’s victory is the first for Masood in his six Tests since being appointed captain last year.
“This win is special for the team and for me as well,” he said.
(With Agency Inputs)
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