Pakistan captain Shan Masood led from the front on Monday, scoring a vital century on the opening day of the first Test against England at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Pakistan faced an early setback when opener Saim Ayub (4) was caught behind off Gus Atkinson. However, Masood and Abdullah Shafique stabilized the innings with a good partnership, guiding Pakistan to 122-1 by lunch.
The match, the first of a three-match series, is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. During the day, Masood survived a close lbw call against debutant seamer Brydon Carse, successfully overturning the decision upon review after replays showed the ball had pitched outside leg stump.
As of now, Pakistan stands at 207-1 with Masood unbeaten on 118 and Shafique on 80. Shafique was fortunate earlier in his innings when a risky single almost cost him his wicket, but Ollie Pope’s direct throw narrowly missed the stumps.
England is being captained by Ollie Pope in this match, as regular skipper Ben Stokes is sidelined with a hamstring injury. Additionally, James Anderson is not part of the touring squad, as he is participating in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
The last time England toured Pakistan for a red-ball series in 2022, they secured a remarkable 3-0 win, a significant feat considering they had won just two out of 24 Tests in Pakistan before that series.
Playing XI
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmad.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
