Pakistani cricket team in England in 2018
 
  England Pakistan
Dates 28 April – 5 June 2018
Captains Joe Root Sarfaraz Ahmed
Test series
Result 2-match series drawn 1–1
Most runs Jos Buttler (161) Haris Sohail (114)
Most wickets James Anderson (9) Mohammad Abbas (10)
Player of the series Mohammad Abbas (Pak)

The Pakistan cricket team toured England between April and June 2018 to play two Test matches.[1][2][3] Ahead of the Tests, Pakistan played first-class matches against Kent and Northamptonshire.[4][5][6] They then travelled to Dublin to play Ireland in their first Test match, before playing a two-day match against Leicestershire ahead of the first Test against England.[7][8] At the end of the tour they played two Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against Scotland in Edinburgh.[9] The Test series was drawn 1–1.[10]

Squads

 England[11]  Pakistan[12]

In April 2018, Pakistani leg-spin bowler Yasir Shah was ruled out for ten weeks, due to stress fracture of a hip, causing him to miss the entire tour. Yasir reportedly needed to "undergo extensive rehabilitation". The Pakistan selectors were said to be considering either leg spinner Shadab Khan (who was chosen) or left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti as replacement.[13][14]

Babar Azam of Pakistan was ruled out of the remainder of the Test series after fracturing his forearm when he was hit by a delivery from Ben Stokes on the second day of the first Test.[15] For the second Test, Keaton Jennings was added to England's squad, with Mark Stoneman being dropped.[16] Sam Curran was also added to England's squad for the second Test, as cover for Ben Stokes, who suffered a hamstring injury.[17]

Tour matches

First-class: Kent vs Pakistan

28 April–1 May 2018
Scorecard
v
168 (55.2 overs)
Imam-ul-Haq 61 (111)
Will Gidman 5/47 (15 overs)
209/4 (64 overs)
Joe Denly 113* (186)
Shadab Khan 2/88 (18 overs)
Match drawn
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury
Umpires: Jeremy Lloyds (Eng) and Steve O'Shaughnessy (Eng)
  • Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.
  • No play was possible on days 2 and 3 due to rain. No play was possible on day 4 before lunch, also due to rain.

First-class: Northamptonshire vs Pakistan

4–7 May 2018
Scorecard
v
259 (73.4 overs)
Adam Rossington 90 (135)
Shadab Khan 6/77 (19 overs)
428 (116.3 overs)
Asad Shafiq 186* (281)
Steven Crook 4/89 (26 overs)
301 (95.5 overs)
Rob Newton 118 (225)
Mohammad Abbas 4/62 (18 overs)
134/1 (27 overs)
Imam-ul-Haq 59* (81)
Pakistan won by 9 wickets
County Cricket Ground, Northampton
Umpires: Ian Ramage (Sco) and Martin Saggers (Eng)
  • Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to bat.

Two-day match: Leicestershire vs Pakistan

19–20 May 2018
Scorecard
v
321/9d (89.5 overs)
Azhar Ali 73 (127)
Aadil Ali 2/28 (5.5 overs)
226/6 (75 overs)
Ateeq Javid 54 (115)
Shadab Khan 2/32 (13 overs)
Match drawn
Grace Road, Leicester
Umpires: Peter Hartley (Eng) and Chris Watts (Eng)
  • Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.

Test series

1st Test

24–28 May 2018[n 1]
Scorecard
v
184 (58.2 overs)
Alastair Cook 70 (148)
Mohammad Abbas 4/23 (14 overs)
363 (114.3 overs)
Babar Azam 68* (120)
Ben Stokes 3/73 (22 overs)
242 (82.1 overs)
Joe Root 68 (120)
Mohammad Amir 4/36 (18.1 overs)
66/1 (12.4 overs)
Haris Sohail 39* (32)
James Anderson 1/12 (3 overs)
Pakistan won by 9 wickets
Lord's, London
Umpires: Paul Reiffel (Aus) and Rod Tucker (Aus)
Player of the match: Mohammad Abbas (Pak)
  • England won the toss and elected to bat.
  • Dom Bess (Eng) made his Test debut.
  • Alastair Cook (Eng) equalled Allan Border's record of playing in 153 consecutive Tests.[18]
  • This was the first time since 1995 that England had lost their opening home Test of the summer.[19]

2nd Test

1–5 June 2018[n 1]
Scorecard
v
174 (48.1 overs)
Shadab Khan 56 (52)
Stuart Broad 3/38 (15 overs)
363 (106.2 overs)
Jos Buttler 80* (101)
Faheem Ashraf 3/60 (20 overs)
134 (46 overs)
Imam-ul-Haq 34 (64)
Stuart Broad 3/28 (12 overs)
England won by an innings and 55 runs
Headingley, Leeds
Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (Aus) and Rod Tucker (Aus)
Player of the match: Jos Buttler (Eng)
  • Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.
  • No play was possible before 14:45 on day 2 due to rain.
  • Sam Curran (Eng) and Usman Salahuddin (Pak) both made their Test debuts.
  • Alastair Cook (Eng) set a new record of playing in the most consecutive Tests (154).[20]

Notes

  1. ^ a b While five days of play were scheduled for each Test, the first Test reached a result within four days, and the second Test reached a result within three days.

References

  1. ^ "Future Tours Programme" (PDF). International Cricket Council. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  2. ^ "ECB consider annual day-night Test after Edgbaston success". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  3. ^ "England schedule for 2018 confirmed". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Specsavers County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup fixtures announced". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Kent to play Champions Trophy holders Pakistan as part of their 2018 campaign". Kent Online. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Northamptonshire start 2018 away at Lords!". Northamptonshire County Cricket Club. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  7. ^ County cricket 2018 fixtures released as champs Essex face Yorkshire in opener, Wisden, 29 November 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Ireland set to make Test debut against Pakistan next spring". RTÉ. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Scotland to host Pakistan in two T20 internationals in June 2018". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  10. ^ "England v Pakistan: Jos Buttler & Dom Bess star as England level series". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  11. ^ "England name squad for first Test against Pakistan". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Fakhar, Imam receive maiden call-ups to Ireland, England Tests". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Yasir Shah out of Ireland, England Tests". ESPNcricinfo. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  14. ^ "Yasir Shah: Pakistan leg-spinner out of England and Ireland tour". BBC Sport. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Babar Azam ruled out of tour with fractured forearm". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Keaton Jennings back in England's Test squad for Headingley at Mark Stoneman's expense". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Sam Curran called up as cover for Ben Stokes after hamstring scare". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  18. ^ "Alastair Cook Equals Allan Border's Record, Gets Praise From The Legend Himself". NDTV. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  19. ^ "Pakistan beat England by nine wickets in first Test at Lord's". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  20. ^ "'We'll be looking for other employment' – Cook". Wisden. Retrieved 1 June 2018.

External links

International cricket tours of England
2018 English cricket season
International cricket in 2018
Categories