“If you choose not to go to Bangladesh you’re risking your spot, particularly me”, he said, fresh from hitting England’s highest all-time ODI score in a record-breaking match which established an unassailable 3-0 series lead.
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After winning the toss on a flat surface, skipper Eoin Morgan opted to bat. Woakes nevertheless suggested England had been short of their best in the first two matches against Pakistan – victories by 44 runs (DLS method) and four wickets – and that the 169-run thumping handed out on Tuesday “wasn’t perfect”, at least from a bowling perspective.
The third match in the series, played a couple of days ago in Nottingham, saw England pile on a massive 3-444, eclipsing the world record for runs in an ODI by one run, with a last-ball boundary.
The likes of Joe Root and Jos Buttler also chipped in with notable contributions as did Morgan himself.
Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow both made fifties as England beat Pakistan by four wickets in the fourth one-day worldwide at Headingley on Thursday.
Pakistan went 16 balls without a run before Azhar got off the mark by cover-driving Willey for four.
“Exceptional innings from Alex Hales and Jos Buttler”, Azhar said.
Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali shared five wickets between them, Rashid – one of five Yorkshire players in the side – taking 3 for 47 on his home ground.
Root is seeking to become the first player since Pakistan legend Javed Miandad to score six successive ODI half-centuries today.
Pakistan missed a good but hard chance when Stokes was dropped on 34.
Azhar dug in for a 62-ball 50 containing four fours and two sixes, but it was increasingly clear there would be no repeat here of the power-hitting seen at Trent Bridge. Next stop in the series will be Headingley and then onto Cardiff and The SSE SWALEC on Sunday.
England’s Test and one-day worldwide trip, set to start at the end of September, was thrown into doubt after a deadly terror attack in Dhaka took 29 lives in July.
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England’s Eoin Morgan leaves the field after scoring just 11 runs during the fourth one day global cricket match between England and Pakistan, at Headingley, in Leeds, England, Thursday Sept. 1, 2016.
