After the three-wicket defeat at the hands of England at Old Trafford, the Pakistani cricket team started preparations for the second Test in Southampton. No change in Pakistan team for the match. Middle-order batsman Fawad Alam has watched 88 Test matches in ten years and his return is difficult.
The Pakistani team will play its first Test in Southampton. Inexperienced bowlers in Manchester presented the winning match to England under pressure. However, the disappointing performance of the batting line-up can be gauged from the fact that captain Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Abid Ali and Mohammad Rizwan scored a total of 126 runs in both innings.
After Asia since 2018, Azhar has scored 212 runs at an average of 11 in 18 innings of nine Tests, during which time he has been dismissed three times. As captain, Azhar has scored 327 runs in seven Tests. Asad Shafiq has played a total of 75 Tests, including 70 consecutive Tests. He has scored 755 runs in 14 Tests, including a century in the Brisbane Test against Australia.
Apart from Yasir Shah, Pakistan’s bowling line-up lacks experience. Yasir Shah, 34, has played 40 Tests, while Muhammad Abbas, 20, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, 17, have played a total of 33 Tests, while England’s Chris Vokes has played 36 Tests alone. Fast bowling duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad have combined for more than 1,200 wickets.
