The first Test was played on a flat pitch in Multan, which saw Pakistan post 556 runs in the first innings, however, England racked up a humongous total of 823/7d, courtesy of Harry Brook’s triple century and Joe Root’s double-century.

Pakistan were bundled for 220 in the second innings, succumbing to an innings and 47 runs defeat.

The under-fire hosts needed a miracle to fight for the series glory and they made four massive changes to their squad for the remaining two Tests, which marked the ouster of big names like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

Consistent domestic performer Kamran Ghulam replaced Babar, while the dynamic spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali came in as Shaheen and Naseem’s replacement.

The hosts not only reshuffled their squad but also revamped their pitch preparation methods for the remaining two matches.

The newly formed selection committee, featuring Azhar Ali, Aleem Dar and Aqib Javed, instructed the groundsmen to make dry pitches to support spin bowlers in the remaining.

For the second Test in Multan, the hosts reused the first Test’s pitch, which underwent a rigorous drying process, utilizing massive industrial fans that whirled at full force, all aimed at crafting a surface that would favour spin bowlers.

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Meanwhile, for the third Test in Rawalpindi, where the pitch is traditionally flat, the hosts used a similar strategy of using large fans and heaters, accompanied by windbreaks to dry the pitch.

The changes worked wonders as Pakistan recovered from 0-1 down to beat England 2-1 and seal their first Test series victory at home since 2021.

The spin duo of Sajid and Noman dismantled England in the last two Tests and picked up 39 out of their 40 wickets, while another late entrant Zahid Mahmood bagged the solitary wicket.

The ICC conducted a thorough evaluation of the pitches used in the series between Pakistan and England, resulting in each venue receiving a rating of “satisfactory.”

This rating represents the lowest acceptable standard that does not incur a penalty, indicating that while the pitches may not have been ideal, they were deemed adequate for play.

The ICC employs a comprehensive four-tier rating system to assess pitch quality, which includes the categories of very good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, and unfit.

In this system, a pitch marked as unsatisfactory is assigned a demerit point, while a score of unfit incurs a more severe penalty of three demerit points.

Venues that accumulate five or more demerit points within a rolling five-year timeframe face significant consequences: they are prohibited from hosting international cricket matches for a period of 12 months.

READ: Former cricketer calls THESE two players ‘burden’ on Pakistan squad

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Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Stokes shared he was robbed of jewellery and other valuables and a good deal of personal items and sought help in locating the burglars.

“On the evening of Thursday 17th October, a number of masked people burgled my home in the Castle Eden area in the North East. They escaped with jewellery, other valuables and a good deal of personal items. Many of those items have real sentimental value for me and my family. They are irreplaceable,” Stokes wrote.

“This is an appeal for any help in finding these people who carried out this act,” he added.

The date of the burglary, mentioned by Ben Stokes, was during the second Test between Pakistan and England.

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The all-rounder also shared a series of pictures with a detailed statement, which suggested that his OBE medal was among the stolen valuables.

“By far the worst thing about this crime is that it was carried out whilst my wife and 2 young children were in the house.

“Thankfully, none of my family came to any physical harm. Understandably, however, the experience has had an impact on their emotional and mental state. All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been.”

“I am releasing photographs of some of the stolen items – which I hope may be easily identified – in the hope that we can find the people who are responsible for this.

“Although we have lost cherished possessions, to be clear, my sole motivation in sharing these photographs is not the recovery of material items. It is to catch the people who did this.”

READ: “Has to prove he is Viv Richards,” Ramiz Raja on Babar Azam

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Pakistan’s decision to make four massive changes after the first Test thrashing paid off as their spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, coming in as Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah’s replacement, gave a new life to the struggling hosts.

The spin duo claimed 39 out of 40 England wickets to fall in the remaining two Tests, coupled with handy and timely cameos to further traumatize the touring side.

Their mastery of spin steered Pakistan to their first home Test series victory since 2021.

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The spin duo also received words of acknowledgement from England captain Ben Stokes, who termed them too good to tackle by his aggressive batting lineup, which racked up a humongous total of 823/7d in the first innings of the opening Test against Pakistan.

“You’ve got to hold your hands up to say that those two in particular were obviously too good for our batting line-up in those last two games,” Stokes said.

“Credit to Noman and Sajid, the way in which they bowled in the second Test match and in this game, you know it was very good and challenging,” he added.

Reacting to the series defeat, Ben Stokes shared that it is hurtful and disappointing to lose games for England before highlighting the need for consistency.

“Losing games for England hurts so it’s disappointing,” said Stokes.

“We need to do things for longer. As I said, we did good things in very small amounts of times at certain points throughout the second game and this game.

“But when you don’t sustain that, you know you’re always going to start falling away.”

READ: Babar, Shaheen react to Pakistan’s drought-ending Test series win

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Pakistan were in heaps of trouble after succumbing to an innings and 47 runs defeat in the opening fixture, which saw England rack up a humongous total of 823/7d in the first innings, courtesy of Harry Brook’s triple century and Joe Root’s double century.

The under-fire hosts needed a miracle to fight for the series glory and they made four massive changes to their squad for the remaining two Tests, which marked the ouster of big names like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

Consistent domestic performer Kamran Ghulam replaced Babar, while the dynamic spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali came in as Shaheen and Naseem’s replacement.

The spin duo dismantled England in the remaining two Tests and picked up 39 out of their 40 wickets, while another late entrant Zahid Mahmood bagged the solitary wicket.

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Besides troubling England with their spin mastery, Sajid and Noman chipped in with the bat, providing handy contributions.

The mid-series additions Sajid Khan and Noman Ali played a pivotal role in marking an astounding turnaround for Pakistan, who recovered from 0-1 down to beat England 2-1 and seal their first Test series victory at home since 2021.

Meanwhile, star batter Babar Azam, who was dropped from the squad after the opening Test, owing to his string of below-par performances, congratulated the team on an “incredible turnaround” and also lauded Sajid Khan and Noman Ali.

“Phenomenal effort once again to make a grand comeback. Amazing turnaround by Noman and Sajid! Congratulations, Team Pakistan,” Babar posted on Instagram.

Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi hailed Sajid and Noman for “pitch-perfect” performances and vice-captain Saud Shakeel for a gutsy century.

“What an incredible way to introduce #AqibBall to the world. Pitch-perfect performance from the spin duo Noman and Sajid, and incredible century by Saud Shakeel. Congratulations Pakistan,” wrote Shaheen on his Instagram story.

READ: New Zealand hand India first home Test series defeat in 12 years

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Pakistan’s decision to make four massive changes after the first Test thrashing paid off as their spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, coming in as Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah’s replacement, gave a new life to the struggling hosts.

The spin duo claimed 39 out of 40 England wickets to fall in the remaining two Tests, coupled with handy and timely cameos to further traumatize the touring side.

Their mastery of spin steered Pakistan to their first home Test series victory since 2021.

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For their unmatched grit and character, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi heaped praise on Sajid Khan and Noman Ali alongside first innings centurion Saud Shakeel.

“The national players won by playing the best game. Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali proved their skills by bowling brilliantly. Saud Shakeel scored a century and showed excellent batting. The team put up a brilliant performance and won the Test series,” said Naqvi.

“This win will boost the morale of the players. The players along with the nation were waiting for such a glorious victory. The new players justified their inclusion in the team with performances,” he added.

England had a flying start to the three-match series as they blew Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs in the opening fixture before the home side scripted an astounding comeback with a 152-run victory in the second Test, followed by a series-clinching nine-wicket victory in the decider.

READ: Shan Masood reacts after “special” Test series victory over England

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Pakistan’s decision to make four massive changes after the first Test thrashing paid off as their spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, coming in as Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah’s replacement, gave a new life to the struggling hosts.

The spin duo claimed 39 out of 40 England wickets to fall in the remaining two Tests, coupled with handy and timely cameos to further traumatize the touring side.

“Like London buses they come together,” said Shan on Pakistan’s back-to-back victories.

“The first win came after a long time and it was backed up by a series win. It’s special,” he added.

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Shan Masood lauded Player of the Series Sajid Khan for showing ‘character’, mainly referring to his blood-shedding injury, which he sustained during his 48-run cameo in Pakistan’s second innings on Friday.

“For everyone to stand up and give their best means a lot,” said Shan.

“It is about characters, people you can trust, people you think can bleed for you – Sajid literally bled for us yesterday.

“To be here and standing as the winning team is the most special thing for us.”

England had a flying start to the three-match series as they blew Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs in the opening fixture before the home side scripted an astounding comeback with a 152-run victory in the second Test, followed by a series-clinching nine-wicket victory in the decider.

READ: New Zealand hand India first home Test series defeat in 12 years

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England, resuming their second innings at 24/3 with a 53-run deficit, were hit by yet another gruelling spin attack by the home side and could add 88 runs to their total.

Harry Brook and Joe Root resumed their overnight partnership sensibly and took England to the 60-run mark until Noman got Brook caught behind to open the floodgates.

Brook remained a notable run-getter for England with a gutsy 26 off 40 deliveries with the help of two boundaries.

Meanwhile, Root then put together brief partnerships with Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith, three each, before Noman struck again to draw curtains on his valiant knock.

He remained the top-scorer for England in the second innings with a cautious 33 off 52 deliveries with the help of a boundary.

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His dismissal had brought England down to 85/7 before Jack Leach and Gus Atkinson, 10 each, pushed the visitors past the 100-run mark.

Noman Ali led the bowling charge for Pakistan with a six-wicket haul, followed by Sajid Khan, who bagged four.

Set to chase a meagre 36, Pakistan emphatically knocked the winning runs as their skipper Shan Masood smashed Shoaib Bashir for a six over long-off.

Masood top-scored with a brisk 23 not out from six deliveries, hitting four boundaries and a six.

Left-arm spinner Jack Leach devoided Pakistan from a perfect 10-wicket victory as he trapped Saim Ayub lbw on five, while his opening partner Abdullah Shafique remained unbeaten with five.

England had a flying start to the three-match series as they blew Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs in the opening fixture before the home side scripted an astounding comeback with a 152-run victory in the second Test.

READ: Afghanistan stun India to set up Emerging Asia Cup final with Sri Lanka 

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Rizwan, while playing his 57th innings in Test cricket, completed his 2000 runs in the format, becoming the fifth Pakistan wicketkeeper to achieve this feat.

The right-hander has now joined Sarfaraz Ahmed, Kamran Akmal, Moin Khan and Imtiaz Ahmed in the coveted list. Notably, Sarfaraz Ahmed holds the record for most runs by a Pakistani wicket-keeper.

Most Runs by Pakistani Wicket-keeper in Test Cricket

• Sarfaraz Ahmed – 3031 runs
• Kamran Akmal – 2648 runs
• Moin Khan – 2581 runs
• Imtiaz Ahmed – 2010 runs
• Mohammad Rizwan – 2009 runs

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However, Rizwan could not add much to Pakistan’s total on Day 2 as he was dismissed by Rehan Ahmed after scoring 25 runs from 46 balls with the help of one six and one four.

As of this writing, Pakistan have scored 251-7 in their first innings and are trailing by a meagre 16 runs.

Saud Shakeel is playing at 104 while Noman Ali has scored 38 so far. Together these two have constructed an unbeaten 74-run partnership so far, which is Pakistan’s best in this innings.

Pakistan Playing XI: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (vc), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.

England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.

READ: Pat Cummins offers blunt take on David Warner’s Test return

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At the Stumps on Day 2, England were 24/3, trailing Pakistan by a further 53 runs with Harry Brook and Joe Root unbeaten on three and five respectively.

Sajid Khan drew the first breakthrough for Pakistan when he trapped Ben Duckett (12) lbw in the fourth over. Noman Ali emulated his spin partner as he dismissed Zak Crawley (2) in a similar fashion in the next over.

England, having lost both their openers with just 15 runs on the board, suffered another blow in the dying minutes of the second day of the decider Test when Noman struck again by getting Ollie Pope (1) caught at slip by Salman Ali Agha.

Sajid Khan remained unbeaten as Rehan Ahmed castled Zahid Mahmood on the first ball to end Pakistan’s innings at 344. Sajid struck two fours and four sixes during his run-a-ball 48.

For England, Rehan Ahmed claimed four wickets, while Shoaib Bashir took three. Gus Atkinson managed two and Jack Leach grabbed one each.

Sajid added 72 runs for the ninth wicket with Saud Shakeel, who played a dominant knock of 134 runs from 223 balls before falling off a short ball from Atkinson.

Earlier in the second session, Saud Shakeel and Noman Ali constructed a crucial partnership of 88 runs for the eighth wicket, during which the former completed his fourth Test hundred.

Noman on the other hand played a gusty 45-run knock before Shoaib Bashir removed him at the stroke of Tea to break the partnership.

Sajid Khan joined Saud and they helped Pakistan level the scores at Tea.

Pakistan started their innings at 187-7 after Lunch with Saud Shakeel (72*) and Noman Ali (6*) at the crease. Prior to that, the hosts lost four wickets for 104 runs in the first session on Day 2.

Saud started the day with captain Shan Masood by his side, however, the latter fell victim to Shoaib Bashir early on the day, leaving Pakistan struggling at 99-4.

Mohammad Rizwan joined Saud and together they constructed a solid partnership of 52 runs to take Pakistan’s total to 151.

However, England captain Ben Stokes made a strategic bowling change that quickly paid off, introducing leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed to the attack.

Ahmed wasted no time and captured three wickets in rapid succession, significantly shifting the momentum in favour of his team.

He removed Rizwan, who was playing at 25, followed by a similar dismissal of Salman Ali Agha (1) in the next over.

Aamir Jamal struck 14 runs off 28 balls before Rehan Ahmed’s googly crashed his stumps after clipping an inside edge.

Meanwhile, Saud Shakeel waged a lone war from the other end with a patient knock of 72 runs, which featured four boundaries. Noman Ali joined him and survived the final moments before Lunch.

The home side got off to a shaky start to their innings yesterday as their opener Abdullah Shafique’s poor form continues. The right-handed batter could score 14 before being trapped lbw by Shoaib Bashir.

His opening partner Saim Ayub had a similar fortune as he fell victim to Jack Leach after scoring 19.

Pakistan then suffered another blow to their batting expedition as Kamran Ghulam (3) perished cheaply, reducing them to 43/3.

Following the early debacle, skipper Shan Masood was joined by his deputy Saud Shakeel and the duo made sure to bat through the remaining overs without further damage.

For England, Leach, Shoaib and Gus Atkinson made one scalp each.

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England captain Ben Stokes opted to bat first on a tricky Rawalpindi pitch. The visitors got off to a decent start as opening batters Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett stitched a 56-run partnership.

However, Pakistan spinners Sajid Khan and Noman continued from where they left in the last match, sparking a middle-order collapse that saw England lose six wickets in quick succession for 62 runs.

Duckett remained the only top-order batter who posed any threat, scoring 52 off 84 with the help of four boundaries and one six.

Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson then raised a 105-run partnership to get England out of the trouble much to the frustration of Pakistan bowlers.

Atkinson, who missed the second Test, played a gutsy knock on his return to the side and scored 39 runs from 71 balls with the help of five boundaries before miscuing one back to the Noman Ali.

Jamie Smith top-scored for England with a stellar innings of 89 runs, which ended with him getting stumped off Zahid Mahmood.

The visiting side ultimately bundled for 267 with Sajid Khan taking six wickets and Noman Ali bagging three. Zahid Mahmood chipped in with one wicket.

Pakistan Playing XI: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (vc), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.

England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.

READ: Pat Cummins offers blunt take on David Warner’s Test return

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Sajid once again troubled the English batters with his mastery of spin and claimed a six-wicket haul, helping Pakistan to book England on 267 despite wicketkeeper batter Jamie Smith’s 89-run knock.

The right-arm spinner reflected on the eventful day, which saw 13 wickets fall as Pakistan got to 73/3 in response to England’s 267.

He claimed that the pitch at the Pindi Cricket Stadium is different to that of Multan, explaining that he used variations and utilized the crease to take six wickets.

“This pitch is different [to that of Multan]. After 25-30 overs, when the ball softens, we used to get something there [on the previous surface] by hitting the patches but we do not get it on this pitch,” said Sajid.

“Some deliveries were bowled well and they played a few bad shots,” he added.

“So, the wicket is not like that as if one hits a certain patch and would benefit immediately. So, I varied the pace and utilized the crease and it helped me to take wickets.”

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Sajid also shared his experience of bowling long spells alongside Noman Ali, stating the latter is well-experienced and guides him.

“Noman Ali is very experienced. I enjoy bowling with him a lot. He always guides me during my spells and it’s a wonderful feeling to bowl alongside him,” said Sajid.

Sajid Khan then went on to laud the new selection committee for preparing a pitch that supports spinners, a formula that helped Pakistan end their Test win drought at home.

“My focus is not on records. I just want to win matches for Pakistan. Credit goes to the new selection for making pitches like this that are helping us,” he concluded.

READ: Jason Gillespie ‘confident’ of Babar Azam’s strong comeback

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