Pakistan determined to beat England in second test: Azhar Mahmood

Pakistan cricket team’s Assistant Coach Azhar Mahmood has said the boys are determined to beat England in the second Test match in Multan.

Talking to the media, Azhar Mahmood reflected on the first Test, admitting that the Pakistan team had hoped for more spin but did not get the desired turn from the pitch.

“We were expecting the ball to spin more, but it did not until the final day. This time, we are hopeful the ball will behave differently,” he said.

Responding to a query about the absence of star player Babar Azam from the Test squad against England, Mahmood clarified that Babar Azam had not been dropped but was instead given rest.

“Babar is our number one player. He has not been dropped, he was just resting. The selection committee made the decision to rest not only Babar but also Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi,” Mahmood explained.

He highlighted the mental toll on players in recent months, noting, “No matter how strong a player may seem, ongoing challenges can take a mental toll and that was important to give Babar and Shaheen a break.”

The assistant coach also underlined the importance of player fitness ahead of upcoming tours to Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Playing XI

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood

England: Ben Stokes (captain), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Chris Gaffaney (NZL)

TV umpire: Sharfuddoula Saikat (BAN)

Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)