The knock may have been circumspect by Bairstow’s standards, but it possessed plenty of currency in steering the hosts to a 4-0 lead as England reached 252-6 with 12 balls to go after Pakistan opened with 247-8.
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“Irfan suffered from cramping while playing the fourth ODI against England at Leeds”. This will be the ODI debut for Liam Dawson.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s tall left-arm fast bowler, Muhammad Irfan has been ruled out for the rest of the England tour after bowling just five overs in the fourth one-day worldwide at Leeds.
“I would certainly like to think probably within a couple of days after that there will be something definitive”, Morgan said.
Rafael Nadal glided into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday as smoothly as the new roof over Arthur Ashe stadium slid shut for the first time during a match.
Meanwhile England skipper Eoin Morgan did not have any qualms about the composition of his side. “We have not had a great deal of time to think about it – we have played a number of one-day games, and have not had a great deal of downtime”.
Click on the video above to see the best bits from England’s 302-9, including some glorious straight hitting from Roy (87 off 89) and Stokes, whose 75 off 76 was his highest ODI score.
Former England spinner Graeme Swann: “Adil Rashid was the man of the match for me”. But Malik twice lofted Dawson for six and Ahmed handed out similar treatment to all-rounder Woakes.
Sarfraz, the wicketkeeper, was first to fifty, off 44 balls, when he pulled Stokes for his seventh four, and Malik followed him to the landmark in 49 balls.
Pakistan’s two left-arm spin-bowling allrounders, Imad and Mohammad Nawaz, on whom much hope is pinned for the future, were then paired together but only for three overs before Moeen beat Nawaz with a delivery that turned and bounced. England made a rapid start after Azhar won the toss on a green-tinged pitch and under overcast, swing-friendly, skies.
Irony is that Irfan was called up as a replacement fir injured Mohammad Hafeez who was out of the series for ankle injury.
The lively Hasan then dismissed Joe Root for a mere nine when the batsman inside-edged an drive onto his stumps.
“Irfan has been ruled out of the remaining part of England series”.
While India-Pakistan clashes at the showpiece events have been labelled as one of the fiercest rivalries in sports, coach Mickey Arthur, who assumed charge of the Pakistan side before the England tour, does not want to play down the chances of a World Cup without the 1992 champions. The right-handed batsman hit five fours and two sixes. There was no century either for Stokes, who was out when he flicked Hasan to short fine-leg.
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The captain is thankful to the European Central Bank for allowing him and his team-mates time to decide, but concedes that leeway will probably be up soon after the one-off NatWest Twenty20 at Old Trafford which ends England’s season next Wednesday.
