Naseem Shah Performance Against England Shines

Naseem Shah Performance Against England Shines: Multan has been one another scorching day, and we’re in the middle of a very close match between the Pakistan National Cricket Team and the England Cricket Team. It’s right now on the first morning of Day 2, and the experience of looking at England’s very aggressive field set up against Naseem Shah early in Day 2 is starting to kick in. Gus Atkinson has five fielders on the leg side, two of them up close in the leg slips, one behind the wicket and one slips in leg gully.

It’s been one field placement shuffle after another during the Pakistan vs England series. Unsettling with bizarre field settings, sometimes it works, it’s almost become their thing. But right now? Not so much. And Babar Azam, the Pakistan skipper, was demoted to handle it like a pro when Naseem Shah was sent in as a nightwatchman late on Day 1 after Azam.

The batters — you’d hope — should be nervy, but Naseem is standing tall, attacking short deliveries, dropping the ball within inches of his feet like it’s nothing. England are trying to get into his head, but it’s his head they’re making a mess of. His defense? Rock solid. That’s the right sort of composure for somebody who practised his cricket as a child in cramped spaces in his back garden playing one bounce cricket with his brothers. Like in those innings in Sri Lanka last year, he’s already shown his ability to frustrate bowlers. He’s ready for this.

We also have to acknowledge—Pakistan’s also suffered some terrible pain in the past, like that home whitewash in December 2022, at the hands of England. Naseem standing tall to prevent another disaster this time. His role here is simple: hang in there, save Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha and don’t let Pakistan lose another wicket too soon.

He’s doing his job. Ducking awkwardly when necessary, defending, staying aware of his offstump. Chris Woakes had a go for Chris Woakes, Ben Duckett chirping away at short leg, but Naseem? Unfazed. He did take a few blows to the helmet and the hand from bouncers, but he was steady.

Then, came the surprise. Naseem, who steps up after he is struck on the head, tees off with a huge six over long-on off Shoaib Bashir. Oh, and he wasn’t done. He also later ripped through England’s premier spinner Jack Leach for two more sixes down the ground. It wasn’t an easy task, given the respect shown to Leach earlier by Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique in their 253-run stand.

Meanwhile, the eyes were upon Naseem, and Saud Shakeel, a very quiet man given the pressure of a poor series to date, worked something out for himself, making fifty critical half-century. Unfortunately, all the cunning, all the technique, even that shot of his that survives, wasn’t enough, and he fell to Brydon Carse, edging down the leg side and by then Naseem had already established himself: his highest international score, 33.

Naseem walked off after a gritty knock of 81 balls, as Pakistan ended the morning session on 397/6 in reply to Bangladesh’s 216 all out, setting themselves up for a second innings lead. It’s given the lower middle order an ideal platform to continue building on Day 2.

And for all those who are following the live cricket action, or keeping up with the Pakistan vs England live score, it’s looking like it’s going to be another great chapter of this series. However, with Naseem Shah, that fight and resilience is emerging againstPakistan’s ageit England Cricket Team.

Brief Scores: Abdullah Shafique 102, Shan Masood 151 help Pakistan build 397/6 vs England.