Third Rothesay Test, Edgbaston (day two of five)
Pakistan 133 (Shakeel 43; Tongue 4-42) & 52-2 (Robinson 2-10)
England 453 (Brook 75, Smith 69, Lawrence 65, Gay 60, Robinson 50; Razaullah 4-148)
Pakistan are 268 runs behind
Scorecard

#Pakistan #test #shakeel #brook

Stuart Broad has questioned Imam-ul-Haq's decision to practise on the sidelines while carrying a calf injury during Pakistan's second Test against England at Lord's, accusing the batter of "putting on an act".

Imam was ruled out of the remainder of the Test after suffering a low-grade strain to his left calf while fielding on the opening day. The injury came after he had dropped two catches, and Pakistan were subsequently left a batter short for the rest of the match.

The Pakistan opener did not bat in the second innings either, as his side collapsed to another heavy defeat and went 2-0 down in the three-Test series.
Ahead of play on Day 4, Imam was seen on the Lord's sidelines knocking a ball around while wearing tape around his injured calf. He appeared to be hobbling as he went through some batting practice.

There were suggestions from the Pakistan camp that Imam could potentially bat if his team needed him during the second innings. However, Broad was unimpressed by what he saw.

Speaking on Sky Sports, the former England fast bowler suggested Imam's public warm-up was designed to make a point rather than prepare him to bat.

"That's all for show. He has got a bit of stick from media and maybe his teammates. Whatever. You can do that inside the indoor school without anyone seeing, don't have to come wearing shorts and tape and hobble around like that. I am not impressed with that. Sorry," Broad said.

Broad's remarks added to questions surrounding Imam's injury, particularly after former Pakistan batter and chief selector Mohammad Wasim had previously raised concerns over the opener's injury history.
Wasim previously alleged that Imam had faked injuries to avoid playing.

Recalling an incident from 2022, Wasim said Pakistan's physiotherapist had warned him that an injury involving Imam could become an issue even before an official decision had been made.

According to Wasim, the player had previously been involved in similar situations, with coaches also raising concerns.

The comments have now resurfaced after Imam was ruled out at Lord's, although Pakistan's management maintained that he was dealing with a calf strain.
Whatever the circumstances surrounding Imam's injury, his absence was felt as Pakistan's batting once again failed to put up a fight.

Chasing an imposing 389 for victory, Pakistan slipped to 14/3 and were soon staring at another defeat. Saud Shakeel provided some resistance, putting together a 97-run fourth-wicket partnership with Shan Masood before taking on the England attack alongside the tail.

Shakeel looked on course for a determined century but was dismissed for 97, falling to the short ball he had repeatedly attacked during his innings.

His score accounted for more than half of Pakistan's total as wickets continued to tumble at the other end.

Ollie Robinson produced a decisive four-wicket burst, Josh Tongue cleaned up the tail with three wickets and Jofra Archer claimed two as Englan

Ex-Pakistan star takes brutal swipe at Babar Azam, calls him a 'great player only for social media,' not a match-winner originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Basit Ali criticised Babar Azam after Pakistan's Test series loss against England.
The former Pakistan player questioned Babar's ability to deliver in crucial moments.
Basit said Babar's "great player" status is driven largely by fans and social media.
He also criticised Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan for their shot selection at Lord's.

#basit

Jofra Archer produced the fastest spell of his Test career as England bowled Pakistan out for 110 on Day 2 of the second Test at Lord's and took complete control of the match.

England's pace attack made full use of the conditions after Pakistan resumed with hopes of staying in the game. Ollie Robinson finished with 4/11, Archer took 3/26 and Josh Tongue returned 2/27 as Pakistan were dismissed for 110, giving England a first-innings lead of 180 runs.

Archer set the tone with a five-over spell before lunch that brought the first breakthrough. According to CricViz, his opening spell averaged 90.7 mph, with some deliveries touching 94 mph. He dismissed Pakistan captain Shan Masood, who was caught behind, as the visitors went into lunch at 16/2 after 14.1 overs.

Despite the numbers on the speed gun, Archer said he was not convinced they were accurate.

"Nah, the speed gun isn't working properly," the 31-year-old said. "I saw some of them [speeds] and I was like, it didn't really feel that way. I don't know who's up in the box working it, but thanks. I remember playing here in the Ashes in 2019 and thinking the same thing. Maybe the speed guns are a little bit dodgy here."

Robinson and Tongue continued the pressure after Archer's opening burst. Archer praised the pace attack for working together rather than relying on one bowler.

"Everyone chips in. Ollie's been phenomenal since he started [playing] again. Gus and Tonguey, everyone's picking up the slack," Archer said. "With this attack you don't have to go and do too much. You don't have to try too hard. You know someone's going to back you up."

Pakistan's batting struggled throughout the innings. Opener Azan Awais was the only batter to offer resistance with 46, before pulling Robinson to deep square leg. Saud Shakeel was the next highest scorer with 16.

England ended the day on 81/3 in their second innings, extending their overall lead to 261 runs.

Even with rain forecast on Day 3, England remain in a commanding position as they look to secure their first home Test series win in two years.

#spell

Pakistan have been handed a fitness concern ahead of their three-Test series against England after captain Babar Azam was forced to retire from a warm-up game following a blow to his hand.

Babar was batting on five for Pakistan against a Professional County Club Select XI when a rising delivery from England Under-19 pacer Manny Lumsden struck his bottom hand. The Pakistan batter was visibly in pain after the blow and did not bat again in the practice match.

The extent of the injury is not yet known, but the Pakistan Cricket Board said Babar's withdrawal was a precautionary measure following an ****** sment by the team doctor.

"Following an ****** sment by the team doctor and taking precautionary measures, Babar has been advised to take rest from the remainder of the practice match," the PCB said in a media release.
Pakistan have, however, indicated that Babar is expected to return to practice before the first Test. The board said the Test captain will join the team's training session at Headingley Cricket Ground on Monday, August 17.

The development comes just two days before Pakistan's three-match Test series against England begins on August 19. Babar's fitness will therefore be closely monitored in the coming days, with the 31-year-old a key figure in both Pakistan's batting line-up and their leadership group.

Babar was recently re-appointed as Pakistan's Test captain and will be looking to build on a positive result from his first ****** ignment since returning to the role. Pakistan drew their two-Test series in the West Indies 1-1, ending a run of eight consecutive overseas Test defeats with an eight-wicket victory in the second Test.

The England series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27. England are currently seventh in the standings with a points percentage of 24.36, while Pakistan are eighth on 22.22.
Pakistan will hope the latest concern surrounding Babar proves to be minor, particularly with the series against England carrying importance for their World Test Championship campaign. The visitors have already received a boost with Shan Masood returning from injury and being available for the series.

Babar's availability will nevertheless remain a key talking point as Pakistan enter the final phase of their preparations. His scheduled return to training on Monday should provide a clearer indication of whether the hand blow has any impact on his readiness for the opening Test at Headingley.

For now, Pakistan's team management will be keen to avoid taking any unnecessary risks with their captain, while hoping the precautionary rest is enough for Babar to recover fully before the series gets underway.
Pakistan Test squad: Babar Azam (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah
England vs Pakistan Tes

A Missouri mother of five was fatally shot while buying slushies with two of her young children after gunfire erupted outside a gas station, leaving investigators searching for the shooter.
Shakeela Martin, 35, was killed just before midnight Tuesday outside a BP gas station at South Florissant and Woodstock roads in Ferguson after an altercation that began inside the convenience store spilled into the parking lot, according to the Ferguson Police Department.
Martin had stopped at the gas station with two of her children, ages 9 and 6, to buy frozen drinks on a hot summer night when multiple rounds of gunfire broke out outside, police said. Investigators believe Martin was an innocent bystander who was struck by gunfire as she walked back to her vehicle with the children.
"She was here to purchase some soft drinks for her young kids," Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle told First Alert 4. "They're physically unhurt but obviously hurt emotionally. You can only imagine what a child would go through watching their mom being murdered in front of them."
Pennsylvania Mother Of Three Fatally Shot While Allegedly Trying To Protect Woman Outside Bar: Report

Babar Azam is back as Pakistan's Test captain after the Pakistan Cricket Board removed Shan Masood from the role on Sunday following a poor run of results.

Masood took over from Babar in late 2023 but Pakistan won only four of their 16 Test matches under his leadership, losing 12.

Explaining the decision, chief selector Aaqib Javed said the selectors wanted a captain who could produce better results.

"We wanted to look for a captain who could lead the team in a much better way," Javed told reporters in Lahore, as quoted by news agency AP. "Shan's individual performance was good but as captain we weren't getting the desired results."

Javed said there was complete agreement within the selection committee over Babar's appointment.

"The selection committee sat down and held detailed discussions. They ****** sed which player could prove to be the best captain in Test cricket. There were many discussions, but the selection committee made only one recommendation, and that was Babar Azam. That's it," Aaqib said.

Pakistan's Test form dipped sharply during Masood's tenure. His first ****** ignment ended in a 3-0 series defeat in Australia. Pakistan then suffered a 2-0 home series loss to Bangladesh for the first time. The team's only series win under Masood came against England at home, where Pakistan won 2-1. They also lost series against South Africa and the West Indies and finished at the bottom of the previous World Test Championship table.

Javed said the captain also had to share responsibility for the team's performances.

"The captain has a responsibility of finishing the games," Javed said. "Some things are the responsibility of the team, some are the responsibility of the selectors, and some are the responsibility of the captain. The captain's responsibility also includes maintaining the team's over rate, taking DRS decisions and making the right call at the toss."

Despite the team's struggles, Masood scored consistently with the bat. During his captaincy, he hit two centuries and seven half-centuries, including back-to-back fifties at Melbourne against Australia.

Babar's first spell as Test captain produced 10 wins in 20 matches. His tenure began with a 2-0 home series win over South Africa, while Pakistan also completed clean sweeps away from home against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

As captain, Babar averaged more than 50 runs per innings in Test cricket. His only series defeat at home came against England, who beat Pakistan 3-0.

Babar's second stint as captain will begin with the two-Test series against the West Indies later this month.

Masood has retained his place in Pakistan's 16-member squad for that series. Saud Shakeel will join the squad as the 17th player for the three-Test series in England after the West Indies tour, subject to fitness.

The squad also includes four uncapped players: left-arm spinner Ali Usman, right-handed batter Awais Zafar, right-arm fast bowler Ubaid Shah and wicketkeeper-