Pakistan’s experienced spinner Sajid Khan left the press room in splits with his response as he was asked about the ‘scare’ he was giving to England batters in the third Test of the series at Rawalpindi. Noman Ali and Sajid Khan worked as a pair to decimate the England batting unit in the Test, producing the same sort of partnership that the legendary Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis used to. When the same aspect was put in front of Sajid in the post-match press conference on Saturday, he gave an epic reply.

“We witnessed that you were scaring England batters with your bowling while Noman was picking wickets, working the same way as Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis used to,” a reporter asserted.

In reply, Sajid said: “Maine to kisi ko nahi daraya. Aap log kehte ho ki daraya hai. Allah ne look aisi di hai ki main hansta bhi hun to log darr jaate hain (I didn’t scare anyone, but you people keep saying this. God has given me such a look that even if I laugh, people get scared).”

Sajid Khan replies to a question about “scaring” people #PAKvENG | #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/VLqTKfAGg9

— Grassroots Cricket (@grassrootscric) October 26, 2024

The terms of play of the second and third Tests were dictated by Sajid and Noman. Apart from providing crucial contributions at the tail end, the duo combined to take 39 wickets in the two Tests, which played a direct role in ending Pakistan’s first series win after four attempts.

Sajid labelled Noman as Pakistan’s most experienced spinner and claimed that the veteran deserved the Man of the Series award alongside him.

“Noman bhai is one of the most experienced spinners in our country. He has been a great mate and has served well. He deserved this PoS award with me. Congrats to the nation for this win,” Sajid said in the post-match presentation.

Skipper Shan Masood’s wait for his first series win as Pakistan’s Test captain ended alongside the nation’s eager hope of seeing the home side win on their turf for the first time since 2021 was also fulfilled.

Sajid, who made a comeback to the side, thanked God for gracing them with a 2-1 series win against England and said, “Thankful to god for the series win. There was no pressure as such. I was making a comeback, but there were people who backed me.”

With ANI Inputs

Former Pakistan cricket captain Mohammad Hafeez did not hold back his feelings as Pakistan completed a stunning comeback and sealed a 2-1 home series win against England. Pakistan rode on the performances of spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali — two players who had been brought back into the side in the middle of the series — to defeat England. Hafeez made a tweet that was cryptic in nature as he spoke about ‘exposing faces’. While it is unclear as to whom the tweet was directed at, fans interpreted that it may be something to do with star Pakistan batter Babar Azam, who was dropped mid-series.

“Two faces, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, with star impactful performances brought home series win for Pakistan after more than three years. More importantly, their performances exposed many faces,” posted Hafeez on X.

Two faces Sajid khan & Noman Ali with star impactful performances brought home series win for Pakistan after more than 3 years. More importantly their performances exposed many faces… pic.twitter.com/rioe1uFXnm

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) October 26, 2024

After losing the first Test in Multan, Pakistan dropped Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah from the Test side. In their place, Kamran Ghulam, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali were brought in. While Ghulam scored a century on debut, Sajid and Noman have taken a combined 39 out of the 40 wickets in the two Tests, leading Pakistan to victory.

Some fans took Hafeez’s tweet as a shot at Babar Azam, whose dropping came with a lot of criticism.

exposed many faces and the fact that hyping selfish players for stats and PR is wrong, it should only be for their passion for country. pic.twitter.com/1RaoafUNbc

— \o/era (@LoyalAfridian10) October 26, 2024

Hafeez had served as Pakistan’s team director and interim coach between November 2023 and February 2024, before he was removed due to Pakistan’s poor results.

Pakistan bundled out England for just 112 on Day 3 of the third Test. Their final target was merely 36, which they chased down in 3.1 overs. It is their first home series win since February 2021.

The win takes Pakistan up to seventh spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle table, while England fall to sixth.

Pakistan men’s cricket team celebrate vs England in Rawalpindi.© AFP

Sajid Khan was grit personified for Pakistan against England in the third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday. Coming to bat at No. 10, Sajid Khan scored a crucial 48 off 48 balls with the help of four sixes and two fours. He was even hit on the face when he top-edged one that hit his chin off the bowling of Rehan Ahmed. Undeterred Sajid continued to bat with blood stains on his shirt and played one of the bravest innings that Pakistan cricket team has seen in recent times. His effort was appreciated by all. 

This is what Shoaib Akhtar said we were missing from this team for years. We were missing jigra and passion for the star on our chest. Sajid Khan has convinced me that magic is possible, what a player. A true fighter. pic.twitter.com/wGI7scpgxn

— Moosaa (@moosahmed03) October 25, 2024

Raining s in Rawalpindi

Sajid Khan smashing it with disdain #PAKvENG | #TestAtHome pic.twitter.com/SIOnkEOfwB

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 25, 2024

Spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali left England reeling at 24-3 after Saud Shakeel‘s fighting hundred put Pakistan in control of the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday. England came in looking to erase a deficit of 77 but had no answers for the Pakistan spinners on a turning pitch.  Sajid dismissed Ben Duckett for 12 and Noman Ali removed Zak Crawley (two) and Ollie Pope (one) in the space of five runs.

When bad light ended the second day’s play with five overs remaining, Joe Root and Harry Brook were at the crease on five and three respectively. England still need 53 runs to avoid an innings defeat with seven wickets in hand and three days left to play. 

The series is tied at 1-1 after England won the first Test by an innings and 47 runs while Pakistan took the second by 152 runs, both in Multan. On another day dominated by spin, Shakeel’s brilliant 134 was the highlight, pulling Pakistan within touching distance of a first home Test series win since they defeated South Africa in February 2021.

Shakeel anchored Pakistan’s innings, lifting them from a precarious 177-7 to 344 all out. “We had an idea that this pitch will help spinners so with that in mind I prepared myself,” said Shakeel, admitting it was one of his best knocks.

The left-hander held Pakistan’s innings together with a gritty knock spread over 322 minutes and 223 balls, hitting just five boundaries.  

“A hundred is a hundred and it’s the best feeling and now we are in the best stage of the match.” But leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who was the pick of the England bowlers, said his team had plenty of fight left.

“I think we are still quite positive with so much batting to come so we are still very positive in the changing room come tomorrow,” he said.

Ahmed took 4-66 while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir finished with 3-129.

Defiant Shakeel

The 29-year-old Shakeel defied England with an eighth wicket stand of 88 alongside Noman who made 45 before falling in the final over ahead of the tea break to spinner Bashir. 

Shakeel added another 72 for the ninth wicket with Sajid who scored an unbeaten career-best 48. Shakeel was finally caught off a miscued pull off pacer Gus Atkinson while Ahmed dismissed the last man Zahid Mahmood for nought.

The visitors looked to be in control when young spinner Ahmed bagged three quick wickets to leave Pakistan teetering at the end of the first session. England were eyeing a lead after Ahmed’s burst left Pakistan on 187-7 at lunch but the Shakeel-Noman stand turned those expectations into frustration. 

Shakeel batted with composure and reached his fourth Test hundred with a single off Rehan in a resistance-packed innings. Noman — surviving a leg-before decision on review and a dropped catch off Root — assisted Shakeel admirably, hitting a six and two fours as the duo helped Pakistan add 80 in the second session.

Rehan sent Mohammad Rizwan (25), Salman Agha (one) and Aamer Jamal (14) back to the pavilion and threatened to derail Pakistan. England’s frontline spinners Jack Leach and Bashir could not extract the same sharp turn from the pitch as rival Sajid Khan, who took 6-128 on Thursday.

Pakistan resumed the day at 73-3 in search of a sizeable lead to press for a series win. But Shakeel was the only top=order batter able to build a meaningful innings after reaching double figures.

With AFP inputs 

Pakistan vs England, 3rd Test Day 1, Live Updates© AFP

Sajid Khan and Noman Ali are as different as chalk and cheese but they gelled perfectly as they tore through England’s batting to give Pakistan a long-awaited Test win. The spin pair took all 20 wickets on a worn, turning, Multan track for a 152-run win to set up a third Test winner-takes-all showdown at Rawalpindi starting on Thursday. Left-armer Noman, 38, is the senior partner of a pair who have played together in eight Tests. “We bowled with a lot of confidence and his energy is always very high,” Noman told AFP about his partner, off-spinner Sajid.

“Our plan was to keep it simple. We knew the England batsman would attack, so we were not distracted and kept it simple,” he said in written comments to AFP.

“This feat will go a long way in establishing our pairing. To get 20 wickets between us is an honour and it happens very rarely.”

The win is Pakistan’s first at home since they beat South Africa in Rawalpindi three years and eight months ago.

Noman took a career best 8-46 as England were 144 all out chasing 297 to win.

But it was Sajid who set the platform with 7-111 in the first innings to give Pakistan a crucial 75-run lead.

Noman finished with match figures of 11-147 and Sajid 9-204.

They became the seventh pair of bowlers to take all 20 wickets in a Test, and the first since Australia’s Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie against England in 1972.

Sajid cuts a dashing figure on the field, frequently twiddling his immaculately groomed moustache and celebrating a wicket with an exuberant thigh slap that has become his signature.

“I followed my father in keeping a moustache,” Sajid told AFP of his late father, who had served in the military.

“(Former Australia batsman) David Warner once said he was frightened of my moustache,” he added.

Former Pakistan left-arm spinner Iqbal Qasim believes that Noman and Sajid complement each other perfectly.

“Spin gives us the winning formula which we were not using,” said Qasim who took 171 wickets in 50 Tests for Pakistan.

“Noman and Sajid have matured with experience and can continue to give home wins like this.”

It is too early to compare the pair to India’s spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who jointly have over 800 wickets.

Thirty-seven years ago, Qasim partnered Tauseef Ahmed for 18 wickets as Pakistan won in Bangalore for a first series win over arch-rivals India.

Off-spinner Ahmed, who took 93 wickets for Pakistan, said the pair had “bowled extraordinarily” well in the win over England, after Pakistan’s new selection committee decided to pick only one seam bowler.

“The previous set-up did not have belief in spinners and that’s why we were not using our home advantage,” said Ahmed.

The series finale starts in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has hit back at critics after Pakistan registered a thumping 152-run victory over England in the second Test at Multan. Pakistan had come under immense scrutiny following the decision to drop Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah from the Test squad ahead of the second Test. However, all three of their replacements starred. Kamran Ghulam, Babar’s replacement, notched up a century on Test debut, while spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali picked up all 20 England wickets between themselves.

“Surely not PR agencies,” controversially tweeted Hafeez after the game, in a post possibly aimed at Babar Azam and co.

Pakistan cricket need impactful performances like Kamran Ghulam , Salman Agha 50, Sajid khan 9 wickets & Noman Ali 11 wickets for winning cause. Surely not PR agencies……

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) October 18, 2024

Pakistan vs England, 2nd Test: As it happened

It was Pakistan’s first home win since February 2021 and came after they were thumped by an innings in the first Test on the same Multan pitch.

The third and final Test starts in Rawalpindi on October 24.

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.

Pakistan’s last Test win at home came against South Africa in Rawalpindi more than three years ago. It was followed by 11 home Tests without a win.

This also becomes Shan Masood‘s first win as skipper after getting the job last year, including 3-0 and 2-0 whitewashes at the hands of Australia and Bangladesh.

Pakistan’s ploy of dropping ace batsman Babar Azam in one of four changes after the first Test and playing on a reused pitch with three spinners paid off handsomely.

Azam’s replacement, debutant Kamran Ghulam, made a century to anchor Pakistan’s first-innings 366.

Masood praised his side for their character.

“The first one (win) for me and long awaited for the team is always special,” said Masood.

“This has come after some rough times and the boys stepped in after a lot has happened this past week.”

The captain, who like his team had been under fierce pressure in cricket-mad Pakistan, added: “We came up with a strategy to get 20 wickets and we made it happen.

“We were never afraid of taking risks. Three years and 11 months creates hunger, so it’s good to win at home.”

Pakistan captain Shan Masood lauded the spin duo of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who shared 20 wickets between them in the second Test, to defeat England by 152 runs in Multan on Friday. The hosts made four changes in their playing 11 and opted for the re-used pitch that hosted the series opener last week. Pakistan went in with three pacers – Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mehmood – and one pacer Aamer Jamal while right-handed batter Kamaran Ghulam was handed his Test debut.

The move worked for Pakistan as Sajid bagged nine wickets and was named Player of the Match. On the other hand, Noman Ali clinched 11 scalps including figures of 8-46 in the second innings. Debutant Kamran Ghulam also scored a century in his debut knock to guide the side to 366 in the first innings.

Talking about their performance in the match, Masood expressed satisfaction with the result and credited Noman and Sajid for taking their brilliant spells.

“We are just glad that we were able to put the plans in place, get 20 wickets and were able to back it up some decent first and second innings scores. A change of strategy for us. We tried going green seamers against Bangladesh, we were a bit off. Sometimes you have to look at the opposition also, look at what the ground can provide. We haven’t played a lot of Test cricket in Multan. The only one was two years ago that offered some spin so we thought why not try to do something and make something like that,” the captain said after the match.

“Noman and Sajid coming in, it’s never easy and they looked like two seasoned campaigners. Second innings, we didn’t even need a third bowler and that speaks volumes for them. It’s a collective effort and what matters in team sport is chipping those 20-30 runs, putting those efforts in the field. Zahid didn’t bowl much but he was running around, he was there for the team, same with Jamal who scored some vital runs. Noman and Sajid were the front-runners and everyone chipped in,” he added.

It was not only Pakistan’s first Test win at home after 11 games but also Masood’s maiden victory as Test captain. “First one is always special, it has come after some hard times. A lot has happened over the last week,” he said.

“For everyone to work together, to come up with a strategy to pick 20 wickets and make it happen, that’s the most satisfying thing. You have to applaud the group. They have been hungry. You can’t doubt the effort of the guys and their commitment. It’ll be special for everyone because it’s come after some tough times and it’s kept us hungry,” Masood added.

The home captain also lauded Kamran Ghulam for his debut Test hundred in the pressure situation. “For Kami (Kamran Ghulam), it’s never easy. When you are replacing one of the best batters in the world … I read some things that were horrid even before he played his first Test match. I can’t even imagine the pressure that someone can be under. But we were all behind him. From the get go, he seemed like he belonged. To get that century, that’s special,” Masood said.

“Agha is probably one of my favourite players, he’s a team player. For him to play in those pressure situations and get something for the team, that’s special. There have been some front-runners, there have also been some really nice small contributions. Even Saim Ayub played very maturely. Everything added up and that’s what a team effort is,” he signed off.

–IANS

ab/bc

Spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali put Pakistan in the driver’s in the second Test against England in Multan. After Pakistan set England a daunting target of 297, Sajid dismissed Ben Duckett (0) and Noman had Zak Crawley (three) to leave England on 36-2 after an exciting day three. Ollie Pope and Joe Root were unbeaten on 21 and 12 respectively with England still needing 261 and two full days of cricket left. Sajid was the hero in the first innings after he grabbed a record-equalling seven wickets to hand Pakistan a lead of 75.

Noman, who had three scalps in the first innings, also scored a crucial 32 as Pakistan were bowled out for 366 in the first innings. However, the 38-year-old scored a solitary run in the second.

However, he made heads turn with a perfectly timed flick off his pads. However, Noman’s effort prompted his batting partner Agha Salman to jokingly ask him, “Khud maari hai na yeh? (Did you hit it deliberately?)”.

To this, Noman assured Salman that he flicked it West Indies great Brian Lara. “Han! Han! Pura tere bhai ne Lara ki tarah maara hai (Ya, Ya, I just flicked it like Lara),” Noman was heard as saying on the stump-mic.

Noman Ali flicks a ball for a single.

Salman: Khud maari hai na yeh? (Did you hit it deliberately)

Noman: Han! Han! Pura tere bhai ne Lara ki tarah maara hai. (Ya, Ya, I just flicked it like Lara) #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/sL1DD4RqPu

— Israr Ahmed Hashmi (@IamIsrarHashmi) October 17, 2024

After stumps on Day 3, Noman said cracks on the pitch — the same used in the first Test, which the visitors won by an innings — will make England’s task tougher.

“We are getting good spin from the rough patches as well as from the middle so it will be a tough chase and we will do everything to win this Test,” said Noman.

England assistant coach Paul Collingwood still believes that his fearless side can do “special things” despite being up against it.

“It’s going to be a tough chase tomorrow on what is effectively probably the ninth day on that wicket,” said the former England allrounder.

(With AFP Inputs)