England secured a historic 3-0 sweep over Pakistan after a convincing eight-wicket win in Karachi.
After beating Babar Azam’s side in Rawalpindi by 74 runs and in Multan by 24 runs, England beat the hosts within four days in stunning fashion, thanks to a five-for from debutant Rehan Ahmed and another superb century from Harry Brook.
Ben Stokes’ men were once again in dominant form against a below-par Pakistan side. The series win is only England’s third ever in Pakistan and the first time an away side has left Pakistan with a whitewash.
- Stokes says he has ‘special’ belief in his team
- McCullum: Stokes has a bit of ‘maverick’ about him
- England’s attacking approach pays off in Pakistan
Mark Butcher compared England to Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle team from the 90s, while Michael Atherton said the team has “unbelievable” belief. But which players deserve extra plaudits? Sky Sports takes a closer look…
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England head coach Brendon McCullum described captain Ben Stokes as a ‘maverick’ and a ‘genius’ after the historic 3-0 series sweep in Pakistan.
Zak Crawley – 6
- Matches 3
- Runs 235
- Average 39.16
- High score 122
Ben Stokes stuck by Zak Crawley after a mixed summer and the opener repaid his faith with a stunning century during the first Test on a record-breaking opening day in Rawalpindi.
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Alongside Ben Duckett, Crawley set the tone for how England would go about their business in Pakistan, as England amassed over 500 runs on day one.
His 122 runs came from just 111 balls and featured 21 fours. Before he was bowled by Haris Rauf, Crawley showed why he is so highly rated, displaying his array of shot making. He backed it up with a half-century in the second innings as England took a 1-0 series lead with a 74-run victory.
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However, the following two matches were disappointing for Crawley. He hit just 19 and three runs in Multan and was out for a duck on day one in Karachi.
He gave a reminder of his talent in the fourth innings though, hitting a quickfire 41 as England attempted to win the game by stumps of day three.
While batters below him amassed the runs in typical Bazball style, Crawley struggled to build on the century in his first innings. But his cameo in Karachi was a reminder of his talents and expect Stokes to stick by him in New Zealand.
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Zak Crawley got England off to an excellent start with 14 runs off the first five deliveries in the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
Ben Duckett – 7
- Matches 3
- Runs 357
- Average 71.40
- High score 107
After he was recalled to the Test squad, Ben Duckett displayed all of his talent in Pakistan, especially against spin.
Duckett shared a 233-run opening stand with Crawley in the first Test and was eventually trapped lbw by Zahid Mahmood on 107.
He was out for a golden duck in the second innings but continued his good form in Multan with 63 runs in the first innings and an enterprising 79 in the second innings.
Sweep shots dominated Duckett’s play against spin in the first innings, as he struck his 63 from just 49 deliveries and shared a second wicket partnership with Ollie Pope, which was the catalyst for England’s record-breaking opening session.
Like Crawley, Duckett struggled in the first innings in Karachi, but hit an unbeaten 82 and struck the winning runs as England won by eight wickets. Questions remain over Duckett’s future in the England side though.
He has enhanced his reputation against spin bowling but has yet to be really tested in English conditions and has not quite secured his place at the top order.
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Ben Duckett said he can open the batting in England after starring away from home during the 3-0 sweep in Pakistan.
Ollie Pope – 8
- Matches 3
- Runs 238
- Average 47.60
- High score 108
Ollie Pope has well and truly nailed his place as England’s number three after impressive performances in Pakistan. Not only did he impress with the bat throughout, he filled in well for Ben Foakes behind the stumps as illness struck the England camp on the eve of the first Test.
After some jitters early on, he did well taking some good catches in important moments. Pope did enough to retain the gloves for the second Test, while Foakes was recalled in Karachi.
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Ollie Pope pulls off a stunning catch from behind the wicket after Jimmy Anderson surprises Zahid Mahmood with a bouncer, taking Pakistan to eight wickets down.
Even without the gloves, Pope took impressive catches in the third Test, the pick coming at short leg to hand Ahmed his first Test wicket.
As with all of England’s top order in Rawalpindi, Pope was among the runs in the first innings hitting 108 at a strike rate of 103.84. He was out for just 15 in the second innings as England looked to score quickly before declaring.
In Multan, Pope shared an excellent partnership with Duckett and finished with 60 from 61 in the first innings, but was out for just four runs in the second innings having been used lower down the order after his exertions behind the stumps.
Another half-century in Karachi helped England take a slender first-innings lead and he was not needed in the final innings, with Stokes and Ahmed coming in higher up the order.
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Ollie Pope claims his third Test century which was England’s third on day one of the first Test against Pakistan.
Joe Root – 6
- Matches 3
- Runs 125
- Average 25
- High score 73
- Wickets 5
- Average 39.20
- Best 2-23
While England hit almost 1,500 runs over three matches, Joe Root wasn’t at his fluent best with the bat in this series.
England’s Mr Reliable is usually the glue in England’s innings while batters around him falter. But this time, his low scores didn’t prove debilitating with others stepping up.
Root missed out in the first innings in Rawalpindi while the rest of the team piled on the runs but shared an excellent partnership with Harry Brook to set Pakistan a tough target in the second innings. His 73 in 69 balls showed his array of shots and qualities.
He hit just 29 runs in two innings in Multan but his role in the leadership group would have been important. Root also did well to support Jack Leach throughout the series, taking three wickets in Multan and making the breakthrough after tea in Karachi.
Without the weight of captaincy on his shoulders anymore, Root is playing with a smile on his face and while he wasn’t among the runs, he will surely be happy that others around him are putting on good scores.
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England get the breakthrough and Joe Root has 50 test wickets with Faheem Ashraf bowled out for Pakistan.
Harry Brook – 9
- Matches 3
- Runs 468
- Average 93.60
- High score 153
England’s best player in Pakistan and the standout player from both teams, Harry Brook has been almost faultless. Three centuries in three matches and the most runs in the series, Brook has done everything to give England’s selectors major headaches when Jonny Bairstow returns from injury.
Brook was playing only his second Test match for England in Rawalpindi but didn’t show any signs of nerves during his excellent 153.
He followed it up with a half-century in the second innings, and a measured century in the second Test as England edged Pakistan by 26 runs.
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Watch the moment Harry Brook followed his centuries in Rawalpindi and Multan with a third hundred of the series in Karachi.
His most impressive innings probably came in Karachi. Only Pope had put on a decent score as England chased for the first time and Brook showed a different side to his game.
Michael Atherton described him as “old fashioned” with modern flair and that would perfectly describe Brook’s century in Karachi as he struck important partnerships with Pope and Ben Foakes on his way to 111 from 150 balls.
The only disappointment for Brook is that he couldn’t surpass England’s fastest Test century despite getting close during the first Test.
There will be plenty more opportunities for that though in the new year, and he will leave Pakistan a more confident Test player.
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The best shots from Harry Brook’s fantastic century as England took on Pakistan in the second Test in Multan
Ben Stokes – 9
- Matches 3
- Runs 173
- Average 34.6
- High score 41
- Wickets 1
- Average 124
- Best 1-69
There aren’t enough superlatives in the world to describe Ben Stokes. England’s captain wasn’t among the runs and didn’t bowl as often as previous games, but his captaincy is changing the way Test cricket is played.
Stokes never let the game settle, he backed his batters to go and play strokes and used unorthodox fielding positions to try to get wickets.
If there was one moment that summed up Stokes, it was the declaration in the first Test during tea on day four. With a 342-run lead and four sessions left, many would have batted to the end of the day. But not Stokes.
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Michael Atherton says Ben Stokes has transformed England’s Test team and will go down as one of their best captains ever if he continues this way
He went for the jugular and risked losing the game to try and win it. With the carrot dangled for Pakistan, England won by 74 runs and Stokes took the important wicket of Babar Azam on the way.
With the series settled before Karachi, Stokes used it to acclimatise Rehan Ahmed to international Test cricket. He clearly isn’t afraid to make brave decisions and it is paying dividends for English cricket at the moment.
His decision to not use Ahmed in the second innings until later on puzzled some, but it proved a masterstroke as the teenager ripped through Pakistan’s middle and lower order to set England up for victory.
With an Ashes series on the horizon, Stokes will have some more tough decisions to make. Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Jonny Bairstow are likely to be available again but what will that mean for the players that have impressed in their place during the tour? It will certainly be an exciting year for English cricket under Stokes.
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England captain Ben Stokes digests the historic 3-0 sweep in Pakistan and hails his side’s no-fear attitude, teenage spinner Rehan Ahmed and head coach Brendon McCullum
Ben Foakes – 6
- Matches 1
- Runs 64
- Average 64
- High score 64
Ben Foakes was unfortunate to miss out on the first two Tests after sustaining an illness before the first Test. In his place Pope filled in as wicketkeeper and did enough to continue behind the stumps in Multan.
Foakes, who has cemented his place as England’s wicketkeeper with Jos Buttler focusing on white-ball cricket, returned in Karachi and didn’t do his reputation any harm.
He was solid behind the stumps, showing glimpses of why he is seen as the best Test wicketkeeper in the world in some corners. With little bounce to contend with Foakes looked comfortable and kept well to the spinners.
It was his performance with the bat that would have impressed the most. Foakes shared an important partnership with Brook in the first innings, hitting 64 from 121 balls.
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A diving Ben Foakes runs out Babar Azam despite knocking one bail off in the process.
Will Jacks – 7
- Matches 2
- Runs 89
- Average 22.5
- High score 31
- Wickets 6
- Average 38.66
- Best 6-161
Thrown into the side in the first Test after Ben Foakes went down with illness, Will Jacks showed glimpses of his potential in Pakistan.
He made eye-catching cameos with the bat lower down the order in the first and second Tests. But it was his performance with the ball that was probably most impressive and surprising.
With Liam Livingstone unable to bowl after picking up an injury in Rawalpindi, Jacks was thrust into the role of second spinner on a flat pitch.
As the England bowlers toiled in the first innings, Jacks plugged away and finished with figures of 6-161. He only bowled 14 overs but Stokes would have seen enough to keep Jacks in mind.
Jacks wasn’t used in the third Test but he is another who has impressed in Pakistan and will stake a claim for future Tests.
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Mark Butcher analyses Will Jacks’ performance on England debut after he took six wickets in the first Test against Pakistan.
Ollie Robinson – 8
- Matches 3
- Wickets 9
- Average 21.22
- Best 4-50
- Runs 74
- Average 18.50
- High score 37
After being questioned about his fitness and form earlier in the year, it has been a tremendous turnaround for Ollie Robinson.
Given more responsibility with Stuart Broad missing, Robinson finished with the most wickets of any English seamer.
Robinson took important wickets at key moments throughout the series and showed his highly improved fitness, with long spells on flat pitches throughout.
Robinson provided the final wicket of Mohammad Ali to seal the win for England in Multan, a match where he had Babar Azam’s number in both innings.
After admitting that he felt he might never play cricket for England again earlier in the year, Robinson has become almost undroppable now.
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England bowler Ollie Robinson talks very openly about his loss of form and struggles with injury and how James Anderson has helped him turn things around.
Mark Wood – 7
- Matches 2
- Wickets 8
- Average 20.37
- Best 4-65
- Runs 77
- Average 38.50
- High score 36 not out
Mark Wood finally returned to Test cricket after months on the sidelines but it was like he was never away.
If England were missing one thing in the first match, it was express pace and that is exactly what Wood brought in Multan and Karachi.
He was instrumental in removing Pakistan’s tail in the first innings and his dismissals of Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Nawaz in the second innings swung the momentum in England’s favour.
If it wasn’t for his unbeaten 36 in the first innings, Pakistan may have levelled the series. A similar cameo in the first innings in Karachi helped England take a slender lead into the third innings.
Wood bowled long spells, which featured a lot of bouncers in Pakistan’s second innings and he was rewarded with a wicket after tea.
With Archer returning in the new year, England will hopefully be able to rotate their two fast bowlers to keep them both fresh and fit.
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England fast bowler Mark Wood says that he would ‘run through a brick wall for Ben Stokes’ after the tourists sealed a Test series win in Pakistan
Jack Leach – 8
- Matches 3
- Wickets 15
- Average 44.60
- Best 4-98
- Runs 15
- Average 15
- High score 9 not out
England’s frontline spinner improved through the series. Like all the bowlers, Jack Leach had to work hard for anything in the first Test.
He finished with three wickets in the end and took that confidence into the second Test, where he took five wickets.
His biggest moments came in the first innings in Multan, on a pitch that favoured the spinner. He consistently troubled Pakistan, removing four of the opening seven batters to help England take control.
The first innings also saw him take his 100th Test wicket and become only the 14th England player to do so this century.
It was much more of a struggle in the second innings for the spinners but Leach struck at the most pivotal moments just before the end of play on day three to remove Imam ul-Haq on 60.
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Mark Butcher believes England skipper Ben Stokes is playing a vital part in the progression of Jack Leach’s bowling after another superb performance against Pakistan
Leach took eight wickets in the final Test, including three during the morning session to dismiss Pakistan’s top order.
Stokes has come to rely on Leach as his front-line spinner and he has adapted well to different roles, whether that is opening the bowling or tieing up one end.
It has taken Leach a bit of time to adjust, but Stokes sets attacking fields to defensive balls for his spinner and it has paid dividends.
Leach’s place in the side has been questioned at times but he hasn’t let Stokes down and has been key for England during the series.
With the backing of his captain, Leach also became the leading wicket-taker in the calendar year, overtaking Kagiso Rabada with 46 dismissals in 2022.
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Jack Leach made Abdullah Shafique his third wicket of the morning, trapping the Pakistan opener lbw.
James Anderson – 7
- Matches 2
- Wickets 8
- Average 18.50
- Best 4-36
- Runs 17
- Average 5.66
- High score 7
At 40 years old, the evergreen James Anderson looks like he is enjoying his cricket more than ever under Stokes.
Anderson has toiled on pitches that aren’t the best for his skills. He was rewarded with seven wickets before being rested for the final match.
It was his delivery to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan in Multan that stood out. Anderson found a perfect line and left the batter in complete disbelief at the masterclass he had witnessed.
Anderson seems to be thriving in the current environment and will be key for England during the Ashes next year. A reverse sweep for a boundary that he played on his first ball faced in the second innings in Multan was another moment to stop and appreciate the talent on display.
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James Anderson produced a Jaffa to remove Mohammad Rizwan and give England their first wicket of the second innings
Rehan Ahmed – 7
- Matches 1
- Wickets 7
- Average 19.57
- Best 5-48
- Runs 11
- Average 5.50
- High score 10
What a moment for Rehan Ahmed before the third Test. At just 18, the all-rounder became the youngest-ever Test player for England. He got his opportunity after impressing in the pre-series camp in Abu Dhabi and got the unexpected call-up in Karachi with the series sealed.
After showing signs of nerves during his first spell, Ahmed recovered well after lunch and took two wickets. But it was his spell in the second innings that was most impressive.
With Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel sharing a century partnership, Pakistan would have harboured hopes of setting England a big score in the fourth innings.
But Ahmed made the important breakthrough of Babar and triggered a collapse which saw the hosts lose four wickets for 14 runs.
He took a further two wickets before tea and cleaned up Pakistan’s tail in the third session. The beaming teenager led England out after his five-for, with his tearful dad watching on in the crowd.
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Check out each of Rehan Ahmed’s wickets as the England teenager became the youngest man to take a five-wicket haul on Test debut.
Liam Livingstone – N/A
- Matches 1
- Runs 16
- Average 16
- High score 9
Probably the most disappointed of the players in the England camp would be Liam Livingstone. He would have had hopes of cementing his place in the Test side as a lower-order batsman and second spin option behind Leach.
Unfortunately for Livingstone, he didn’t bowl an over and limped through the second innings after picking up an injury.
The all-rounder returned home after the first Test and will hope to regain his fitness to get a proper run in England’s Test side.
Sourse: skysports.com
