Pakistan’s attacking venom is threat to England

PAKISTAN sent England a warning ahead of the Lord’s Test as they sliced through Ireland for 130 — only for star bowler Mohammad Amir to leave the field with a ‘chronic’ injury that could affect his summer. With an attack boasting the venom and variety Joe Root’s England lacked during the winter, Pakistan managed to enforce the follow-on for the first time in 16 years. It does not take a giant leap to imagine Pakistan causing similar carnage at Lord’s on May 24. But there could be an anxious few days ahead for Amir, who managed only 20 balls in Ireland’s second innings before going off for treatment on his left knee. ‘He’s got a chronic problem that flared up,’ said Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood. ‘It’s a concern for us.’ Earlier, the tone was set by Mohammad Abbas, a nagging rightarm seamer, who pinned Ed Joyce and Andrew Balbirnie legbefore in Ireland’s first innings as they slipped to five for two. The ball that dismissed Joyce pitched outside leg, but DRS would have cost the Irish board almost £7,500 a day — an expense too far. It was five for three after Amir sent William Porterfield’s off stump

flying. And when Abbas trapped Niall O’Brien for a duck, Ireland were seven for four, and in danger of humiliation in their first men’s Test. Debutant all-rounder Faheem Ashraf benefited from a swipe by Paul Stirling, and leg-spinner Shadab Khan finished with three for 31. Without a punchy 40 from Kevin O’Brien and an unbeaten 33 for Gary Wilson, down the order after picking up a suspected broken elbow in the nets, Ireland wouldn’t have reached three figures. But England, who name their Test squad tomorrow, will also have noted Pakistan’s fallible fielding. Both Joyce and Porterfield were dropped in the cordon off Amir as Ireland followed on, 180 behind. The lapses allowed them to regroup. Watched by Mick Jagger, whose Rolling Stones are playing at Croke Park on Thursday, Joyce and Porterfield got more satisfaction second time round, reaching 64 without loss at stumps on day three.