Breaking the mould
ENGLAND: HOSTS CHASING FIRST SERIES WIN OVER PAKISTAN IN 10 YEARS
England know another sluggish start to a Test campaign could prove costly as they go in search of a first series win over Pakistan in a decade. Today sees a three-match contest get underway with the first Test at Old Trafford.
And while England can point to recent series victories over most of their rivals, their last such success against Pakistan was back in 2010.
That campaign, however, was overshadowed by a “spot-fixing” scandal at Lord’s which led to bans and jail terms for then Pakistan captain Salman Butt as well as pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.
England have lost the first Test in eight of their last 10 series – including during last month’s 2-1 win over the West Indies that marked international cricket’s return from the coronavirus lockdown.
It is a statistic they are all well aware of, with in-form England pacemen Chris Woakes admitting: “I’d love to be able to put my finger on it and I’m sure the management and the team would as well.
“It’s not coincidence but it’s almost, it is just a coincidence that we can keep losing that first Test match.
“But we want to put that right,” he added, with the eyes of the global cricket community set to turn to Manchester in the absence of any other major international fixtures outside of England.
Both of Pakistan’s past two series in England – 2016 and 2018 – ended in draws, which should encourage the tourists this time even though they go into the first Test on the back of just a couple of intra-squad warm-up fixtures compared to their “match-hardened” hosts.
“We’ve had good preparations and team bonding,” said Pakistan coach Misbah-ul-Haq.
“Still we feel there is always a slight nervousness when you play Test cricket after a long time,” he
Pictures: Getty Images added ahead of his side’s first Test in six months.
Misbah accepted that how his batsmen coped with James Anderson and Stuart Broad – who now both have more than 500 Test wickets each after Broad reached the landmark against the West Indies – would go a long way to determining the outcome of the series.
But the former Pakistan captain was also excited by a pace attack that includes teenage rising star Naseem Shah as well as the accurate Mohammad Abbas, and towering left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Naseem impressed Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis and Misbah so much when they saw him in action in Lahore, they had no qualms about fast-tracking a “complete bowler”.
Naseem became the youngest bowler to take a Test hat-trick against Bangladesh in February and showed a liking for English conditions in two practice matches at Derby. – AFP
– Chris Woakes (above) is happy to be an unsung hero but the England paceman says he is as keen as any of his more high-profile colleagues to play in the first Test against Pakistan today.
The 31-year-old bowling all-rounder was a key figure in England’s recent 2-1 series win over the West Indies.
He took 5/50 on the final day of the third Test at Old Trafford, also the venue for the Pakistan opener in another three-match campaign.
But his fine return came on the same day that fellow England seamer Stuart Broad took his 500th Test wicket.
With the established new-ball pair of Broad and James Anderson, as well as express quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood vying for spots, competition for places in England’s attack is fierce.
That is not even taking into account star all-rounder Ben Stokes, unfit to bowl in the West Indies finale because of injury, or Sam Curran, who played in the second Test against the West Indies.
“I honestly really don’t mind. I’m not one for being the centre of attention,” said Woakes. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to go out on the field and perform and I want to make match-winning performances for England but it really doesn’t bother me if I’m first choice to write about or not, to be brutally honest.”
Yet with 81 Test wickets at 22 apiece in England, Woakes has a better home average than either Anderson or Broad.
“My stats have been mentioned and they’re very good in England,” said Woakes, who has taken 106 wickets in 35 Tests overall.
“At my age and where I am now, at 31, it’s unlikely that I’m going to go on and get 500 Test wickets like Jimmy and Broady but I still want to go on and get as many as I can individually.
“I still feel like I can provide really good services to England for many more years to come.”
World Cup-winner Woakes said he hoped he had done enough to get into the starting XI.
“But competition is high at the minute,” he said. “We’ve still got two of England’s greats charging in and taking wickets every time they play and we’ve got exciting fast bowlers as well.”
Woakes enjoyed a breakthrough series against Pakistan in 2016, when he took 26 wickets, but it is still 10 years since England last won a Test campaign against Pakistan. “Pakistan are always a competitive team,” he said. – AFP