England ‘C team’ thrash Pakistan in first ODI

CARDIFF, United Kingdom: Saqib Mahmood marked his return to England duty with a four-wicket haul as the completely changed hosts put their Covid-19 problems behind them with an emphatic nine-wicket win over Pakistan in the first one-day international at Cardiff on Thursday.

Player of the match Mahmood took an ODI best 4-42 as Pakistan were skittled out for just 141 with more than 14 overs left to bat.

England, the reigning 50-over world champions, finished on 142-1 to go 1-0 up in a three-match series ahead of Saturday’s clash at Lord’s.

Dawid Malan was 68 not out after a run-ball fifty.

Together with Test batsman Zak Crawley (58 not out), one of five ODI debutants in the England team, he shared an unbroken stand of 120 as a match scheduled for 100 overs finished in a mere 67.1

England were fielding a completely changed XI from their previous ODI — the first time this had happened to any side in the 50-year history of the format — after a Covid-19 outbreak within their existing squad during a recent 2-0 series win at home to Sri Lanka required all 16 players originally selected to play against Pakistan to self-isolate.

In addition, injuries to the likes of fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Olly Stone and wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler meant they were effectively without two first-choice XIs.

Yet their ‘C team’ dominated from the moment Mahmood took a wicket with the first ball of the match — and then dismissed Pakistan captain Babar Azam, the world’s top-ranked ODI batsman, for a duck with the third ball.

Such was England’s command, stand-in captain Ben Stokes bowled just one over despite the World Cup-winner being the most experienced member of the attack.

England made a sensational start when Mahmood snared Imam-ul-Haq lbw with the first ball after a review ordered by Stokes confirmed the delivery had pitched in line.

Two balls later, Mahmood had a prize wicket when Azam edged to Crawley at second slip, with Pakistan yet to score a run.

And when Mahmood had Pakistan debutant Saud Shakeel lbw for five, the tourists were 26-4 from seven overs.

But Fakhar Zaman counter-attacked to the delight of Pakistan fans in a crowd limited to 2,251 by Welsh government virus restrictions.

Score Board

England won toss

Pakistan

Imam-ul-Haq lbw b Mahmood 0

Fakhar Zaman c Crawley b Parkinson 47

Babar Azam c Crawley b Mahmood 0

Rizwan c Simpson b Gregory 13

Saud Shakeel lbw b Mahmood 5

Sohaib Maqsood run out 19

Shadab Khan c Malan b Overton 30

Faheem c Simpson b Mahmood 5

Hasan Ali c Malan b Parkinson 6

Shaheen c Stokes b Overton 12

Haris Rauf not out 0

Extras (nb1, w3) 4

Total (all out, 35.2 overs) 141

Fall: 1-0 (Imam), 2-0 (Babar), 3-17 (Rizwan), 4-26 (Shakeel), 5-79 (Maqsood), 6-90 (Zaman), 7-101 (Ashraf), 8-123 (Ali), 9-134 (Shadab), 10-141 (Afridi)

Bowling: Mahmood 10-1-42-4; Gregory 4-1-11-1; Overton 6.2-0-23-2 (1w); Carse 7-0-31-0 (1w); Parkinson 7-0-28-2 (1w); Stokes 1-0-6-0 (1nb)

England

Phil Salt c Sohaib Maqsood b Shaheen 7

Dawid Malan not out 68

Zak Crawley not out 58

Extras (lb1, nb1, w7) 9

Total (1 wicket, 21.5 overs) 142

Bowling: Shaheen Shah Afridi 5-0-22-1, Hasan Ali 4-0-33-0, Haris Rauf 4-0-28-0, Faheem Ashraf 5-0-33-0, Shadab Khan 3-0-22-0, Saud Shakeel 0.5-0-3-0

Result: England won by 9 wickets

Man of the Match: Saqib Mahmood (ENG)

Umpires: Alex Wharf (ENG), Richard Kettleborough (ENG)