Seamer Stuart Broad apologised to his team-mates after his no-ball handed centurion Shoaib Malik a reprieve as an error-strewn England toiled on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
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The first of the two dropped catches by Bell would have dismissed Hafeez on seven with the score on 12-1, and Broad’s misfortune happened with Malik on 40.
Shoaib Malik is progressing towards his maiden double-century and playing a career defining innings in his comeback Test whereas Asad Shafiq has quietly moved on to 80s.
The last time England explored UAE to face Pakistan, Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman created chaos as they grabbed 43 wickets between them to leave the Andrew Strauss-led side in a spin.
Adhering to a rejuvenating break after gaining back the Ashes, England will certainly brace themselves for the Asian difficulty as they handle Pakistan in a three-Test series in the United Arab Emirates. The available technology, which does not include sniko or hotspot for this series, showed no conclusive evidence of an edge but the decision was nevertheless reversed.
It was pace that finally did the trick, though, when they began to pick up wickets as Pakistan sighted the declaration.
Earlier, the 33-year-old Malik made the third-highest score ever by a Pakistan batsman against England before falling to Ben Stokes while attempting to drag the bowler from outside off stump through midwicket.
Such sloppiness from the visitors should not take away from Hafeez, who otherwise batted easily until his exit just before tea.
Cook was forced to briefly leave the field during the evening session, having been hurt when trying to stop a shot from Asad Shafiq.
By the time England took that second wicket, it was tea and the Hafeez -Shoaib Malik partnership was worth 168.
A fine piece of fast bowling, and moderate batting, had combined to take England’s leading Test wicket-taker level at 10th in the all-time global list on 414 with Wasim Akram.
Younus went past Javed Miandad’s national record Test tally of 8,832 runs – in style, hitting Moeen Ali high over midwicket for six – but got little further before chipping Broad to short mid-on, where Cook positioned himself as one of three leg-side catchers on the drive. I’m distraught that in conditions like this I had one chalked off. We can’t afford to do that’. After lunch it was a gusty wind and as a bowler it can affect your stride pattern.
England’s Stuart Broad, speaking to BBC Sport: “I blame myself for the no-ball”.
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“England bowled well with the older ball but hopefully we can push beyond 400 now”.
