England spinning to defeat as Saud Shakeel takes centre stage

Pakistan v England, Rawalpindi — Day 2

Oct 25, 2024

The steely look of determination of a man on a mission, and a man on the way to a Test Match century — Saud Shakeel. Picture courtesy of and with thanks to **www.sacricketmag.com**

ENGLAND 267 and 24–3 (trail by 53 runs)
PAKISTAN 344

Having watched Test Match cricket now for over four decades you’d be forgiven for expecting me to sum up today’s events in a pithy paragraph or three but even now, an hour or so after the umpires called time early due to bad light (and perhaps even to save England further embarrassment), I’m at a loss as to how to describe today’s enthralling entertainment beneath a beautiful Rawalpindi sun. Yesterday I commenced my recap talking about a 12 foot tall alien/human hybrid killing machine in the latest installment of the Alien franchise and disappeared so far away on my own tangents that I omitted to include Adele’s “Skyfall”, and one wishes the resident DJ at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium had done the same. He or She appears to have only a small selection of music to play between overs and quite frankly if I never have to listen to that warbling dirge ever again it’ll be a blessed relief, but we seem to be drifting again and so early in the piece, so shall we laugh at the plight of the Indian cricket team instead, standing as they do on the precipice of a second consecutive home defeat to New Zealand? Laughter is often considered the best medicine in times such as these but then again, England travel down under for a 3 Test Match series next month and unless a miracle occurs in the next day or so in Pakistan, they’ll be facing the formidable Kiwis on the back of a humbling and demoralising 2–1 series defeat having led 1–0 and tricking your humble narrator into predicting a comfortable 3–0 series whitewash.

Predictions come easy when watching cricket through the night. Tea and Toast is often the order of the day at 6am and though rain may be gently falling in the darkness outside, the television soon transports you to the cloudless skies of a world away from your own and through sleep deprived eyes as the players depart from the field at the Tea Break it’s now breakfast time in England, and those oh so easy to make predictions were coming true after all. It was now 11am and with the beginnings of a cooked breakfast sizzling away on the grill the team’s were exactly equal on 267 1st innings runs and although Pakistan still had 2 wickets in hand my prediction of yesterday had indeed come true: we had, in effect, a one innings shoot-out to look forward to.

Then Sajid Khan joined man of the day and Test Match centurion Saud Shakeel as they dashed 70 quick runs in just 50 minutes and with an imposing and overall lead of 77 runs on 1st innings I didn’t so much make a prediction as to a statement of intent for the England opening batsmen: Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett simply had to leave the field of play an hour later undefeated, not out, and returning for cricketing battle in the morning. They lasted 31 balls between them! Worse was to follow for England and especially so their beleaguered vice-captain Ollie Pope as he lasted just 15 balls for his single run and from 20–3, the Yorkshire pair of Joe Root and Harry Brook limped to 24–3 at the close when the umpires called time on the day and arguably England’s tour of Pakistan. Starting tomorrow 53 runs adrift with only 7 2nd innings wickets in hand, England need a Herculean effort (or a David Blaine magic trick) to set Pakistan a competitive 4th innings total to chase on a wicket the hosts handled with ease before their visitors were sent spinning to distraction.

All such tales of predictions and flashbacks of England batting collapses of yesteryear are unfair on the true man of the day: Saud Shakeel. The 29 year old vice-captain from Karachi started today 16 not out and on the exact same score as his captain Shan Masood and for 45 minutes these senior members of the Pakistan team compiled an easy and carefree 50 run partnership, the first of three such partnerships the left-hander would be an active part of today. Granted a “life” when on 26 (although this is incredibly unfair on England wicket-keeper Jamie Smith who spilled the near impossible close-in catch) Shakeel reached his 50 from 92 balls received and although England leg spinner Rehan Ahmed was gleefully taking the wickets of his colleagues at the other end, the man of the day rested at the Lunch Break on 72 not out. Although England had in effect “won” the opening session and were arguable favourites entering the second session of the day, Shakeel refused to bend or break and in collaboration with another star of the series Noman Ali compiled yet another 50 run partnership that both threatened to continue throughout a frustrating session for England but more importantly and singularly for Shakeel, ensured he reached his first Test Match century against England and his fourth all-time.

“You want your best player of spin to stand up, and he has” so exclaimed ex England captain Nasser Hussain on TV co-commentary as Shakeel reached his individual milestone, but his job wasn’t anywhere near complete. 107 not out at the Tea Break, he’d add another 27 runs after the resumption in play in yet another 50 run partnership, this time with Sajid Khan, and following 70 quick runs between them and an eventual lead of 77 runs on 1st innings, Saud Shakeel took his place with his teammates as the sun began setting in Rawalpindi and perhaps, barring two or three stupendous innings tomorrow from England batsmen facing almost certain defeat, the setting of the sun on their tour of Pakistan.

Pakistan hold all the aces.

England are in deep, deep trouble.