We’ll stop wearing smartwatches on field: Hasan

PAKISTAN seamer Hasan Ali has confirmed an anti-corruption officer asked the tourists to stop wearing smartwatches on the field of play.

Photographs emerged on day one of the first NatWest Test at Lord’s of Asad Shafiq wearing a watch, which can transmitransmit data if enabled.

A report on Cricin-nfo added that he wass one of t wo pl ayers spotted doing so — and, although it is unclear as yett whether the trans - mitting capability was enabled, it is anticipatedated International Crickett Council officials will check that fact.

At his close-of-play press conference after helping to bowl England out for an under-par 184, despite a battling 70 from Alastair Cook, Hasan clarified that an ICC official had spoken to the tourists — and they will leave their watches off in future.

There i s no suggestion of wrongdoing by Pakistan, and Hasan (below) said: “I didn’ t know ananyone was wearing one. But yes, an ICC anti-ti-ccorruption officer came ca told us this is not allowed. So next time nobody will wear w them.”

Af t e r Pa k i s t a n closed cl on 50 for one, Cook Coo reflected on England captain Joe Root’s tight call to bat first under cloud cover — on a pitch he expects to deteriorate.

“I think it was a hard decision,” he said. “It will be easy at the end of the game to say Total (58.2 overs) Fall:

Bowling: whether it was the right one.

“Fundamentally that’s a dry wicket underneath — but it had green grass on it and rained overnight. It was a weird one.”

Cook suspects forecast hot weather over this weekend may well mean batting last in this match is as difficult as batting first was.

“Lord’s over the last couple of years, if it does get hot, the wicket tends to crack,” he added. “It could be one of those ‘first innings plays fourth innings’ games.”

As for his own performance, England’s all-time record runscorer had mixed feelings at returning to form but missing out on a 33rd Test century.

“It is frustrating when you do all the hard work and don’t go on and get a hundred, but I played okay,” he said.

“A few things had crept into my game over the last six months or so, exaggerated in New Zealand, where I couldn’t get my weight back into the ball as I’d like.

“But you go away and work on it, and I thought it was pretty decent.”