Pakistan Shaheens tour of England (2025)

[Hellion]

Once again, a useless tour for the Shaheens. The matches did not even List A status.

And it's even the Lions side that they played. Random county select XI's.

Joke of a series

 

[Cricket Warrior]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1950612264215609570

 

[Bewal Express]

We will learn absolutely zilch from this tour that cost a lot of money. Surely a couple of "Tests" against the England Lions could have been arranged

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Pakistan Shaheens’ first three-day fixture ended in a draw against the Professional County Club Select XI as only 25.1 overs of play was possible due to rain on the third day here at The First Central County Ground in Hove.

Pakistan Shaheens will face South Asian Cricket Academy & MCC Young Cricketers Combined team in their second three-day fixture at the Spitfire Ground St Lawrence in Canterbury from Sunday, 3 August.

Responding to PCC Select XI’s 108-run first innings lead, the Shaheens were 50-4 in 11.4 overs when the rain played spoilsport as the play was called off.

Hosts’ Mitchell Stanley picked up 3-30 in his 5.5 overs, while Alex Green dismissed one batter as Shaheens slipped to 24-3 and then 41-4. Azam Awais and Mubasir Khan were the undefeated batters on the crease.

Earlier, the PCC Select XI resumed their first innings from overnight score of 288-4 in 64 overs before declaring on 351-7 in 77.2 overs as rain forced an early lunch break. Skipper Luc Bankenstein, who was 154 not out overnight, could only add 33 runs to his total before falling prey to Mehran Mumtaz.

Mir Hamza, who returned figures of 17-2-39-3, picked up the other two wickets to fall as he struck to remove half-centurion Ben Mayes (67, 105b, 8x4s, 1x6) and Thomas Rew for just 10. Apart from Hamza, Mehran and Mushtaq Ahmed dismissed two batters each.

Scores in brief:

Day 3 of 3: Match drawn at The 1st Central County Ground, Hove

Pakistan Shaheens 243 all out, 69.2 overs (Azan Awais 98, Shamyl Hussain 42, Rohail Nazir 22; Nathan Gilchrist 3-50, Jafer Ali Chohan 2-24, Alex Green 2-31) and 50-4, 11.5 overs (Haider Ali 17; Mitchell Stanley 3-30)

Professional County Club Select XI 351-7 dec, 77.2 overs (Luc Benkenstein 197, Ben Mayes 67, Rocky Flintoff 39; Mir Hamza 3-39, Mehran Mumtaz 2-57, Mushtaq Ahmed 2-86)


PCB

 

[RidiculousMan]

Azan Awais looked a class apart in this 3 day game. Apart from the 98 in his 1st, in the 2nd innings he played a tuk tuk innings to save Pakistan from an embarrassing collapse and drew the game. Rain helped at the end too.

 

[Ball Blazer]

Pakistan Shaheensx Mir Hamza talks about conditions in England, Azan Awais' batting strategy, and his own approach.

"The conditions here are very different from other places, so I think this tour is a very good tour for our batsmen and bowlers. They will learn a lot from this tour and it will be useful for them in the future."

"My strategy is to bowl full lengths here, because the ball swings here and the batsman has to play the ball."

"Our players are very skillful, they have performed well in domestic cricket, but they need more experience."

"I am confident that after the last match, the bowlers now understand the correct lengths to hit on these pitches and will perform even better in the next game."

"Azan Awais is a very good player. He reads the conditions well and adapts his play accordingly."

 

[Ball Blazer]

Pakistan Shaheens' second three-day match from 3 August​

Pakistan Shaheens will take on South Asian Cricket Academy & MCC Young Cricketers in their second three-day match at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury starting Sunday, 3 August. This will be Shaheens’ final fixture of their tour to England.

Pakistan Shaheens earlier won the three-match one-day series 2-1 and played out a drawn three-day game (29-31 July) against the Professional County Club Select XI.

In the drawn three-day match at the first Central County Ground, Hove, Azan Awais was the standout performer for Shaheens. The left-handed batter scored 103 runs, including a 98-run knock in the first innings. Among the bowlers, Mir Hamza claimed three wickets, while right-arm pacer Mushtaq Ahmed and left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz picked up two wickets apiece.

Mir Hamza talking exclusively to PCB Digital after the first three-day match said:

“The tour has been beneficial because the conditions here are completely different. I believe it’s a great learning experience for both batters and bowlers and matches like these can really enhance players' experience.

“I tried to make the most of the opportunity. My focus was to bowl fuller lengths as much as possible, because in English conditions, fuller deliveries tend to trouble the batters. So, I stuck to that length consistently and it worked well for me.

“There is no doubt all our players are highly skillful. These are the same players who have earned their place through strong domestic performances. All they really need is exposure. There’s pace, swing, seam, everything is there, but experience is what will take them further.

“After the last match, I think the players have understood better which lines to hit on these pitches. I am sure they will bowl with greater control and consistency in the next game.

“Azan Awais is a very skillful player. What impressed me most is how well he reads the conditions and tries to play accordingly, which is not always easy for batters in English conditions. Another quality I liked about Azan is that he plays with a lot of patience. I wish him all the best for his future.”

Source: PCB

 

[Bewal Express]

What should have been a great chance to see young talent against decent Foreign talent has turned out to be a talent farce. The PK team played essentially 2nd XI combined county teams. Just a little bit care and competence would have made this tour a proper development journey

 

[Muhammad Saad]

What should have been a great chance to see young talent against decent Foreign talent has turned out to be a talent farce. The PK team played essentially 2nd XI combined county teams. Just a little bit care and competence would have made this tour a proper development journey

And our 2nd Xi is getting bulldozed by unknown country cricketers.

 

[Bewal Express]

And our 2nd Xi is getting bulldozed by unknown country cricketers.

That makes it even worse. The standard of our domestic cricket is appalling. The English team's were mostly second 11s and U19s and were better than our next generation.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Pakistan Shaheens' tour to England

Second three-day match toss update:

Pakistan Shaheens vs South Asian Cricket Academy & MCC Young Cricketers at the Spitfire Ground St Lawrence, Canterbury

Pakistan Shaheens have won the toss and are batting first

15 players from each side can feature in the match

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Half-centuries from Omair Bin Yousuf and Rohail Nazir powered Pakistan Shaheens to 369 for eight on day one of their three-day match against the South Asian Cricket Academy & MCC Young Cricketers at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in Canterbury on Sunday. This marks Shaheens’ second red-ball fixture of the tour, following a drawn game against the Professional County Club Select XI.

Rohail Nazir remained unbeaten on 98 off 114 deliveries, laced with 14 boundaries. He added 91 runs for the seventh wicket with Omair, who struck a fluent 68 from 90 balls, including five fours and a six. Rohail then formed an unbroken 72-run stand for the ninth wicket with Maaz Sadaqat, who contributed a steady 25 not out off 42 balls with two boundaries.

Earlier in the day, after electing to bat first, openers Shamyl Hussain and Azan Awais put on 39 runs for the opening wicket. Shamyl looked in good touch, scoring a brisk 33 off 30 balls with six fours, before falling as the first wicket. Azan, who has been in excellent form throughout the tour, was dismissed cheaply for four off 19 deliveries.

With both openers back in the pavilion at 39, captain Saud Shakeel and Ali Zaryab rebuilt the innings with a 67-run partnership for the third wicket. Saud contributed 35 off 63 balls, including three boundaries, while Ali Zaryab chipped in with a patient 44 from 103 balls, hitting three fours.

For the South Asian Cricket Academy & MCC Young Cricketers, Eesa Nadeem, Hishaam Khan, and Sana Khan each claimed two wickets.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Rohail Nazir’s Unbeaten Ton Powers Shaheens to Commanding Total

Wicketkeeper-batter Rohail Nazir struck a brilliant unbeaten century as Pakistan Shaheens declared their first innings at 385 for eight on day two of the second three-day match against South Asian Cricket Academy & MCC Young Cricketers XI at Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury.

Resuming at their overnight score of 369 for eight, the Shaheens added 16 more runs before declaring.

Rohail, who had returned on 98 not out the previous evening, reached his century and remained unbeaten on 100 off 120 deliveries, laced with 14 boundaries. This marked his first hundred of the ongoing England tour.
He was well supported by Maaz Sadaqat, who contributed a brisk 39 off 48 balls, including two fours and two sixes, as the pair stitched an unbroken 88-run stand for the ninth wicket.

In reply, South Asian Cricket Academy & MCC Young Cricketers XI reached 183 for six in 60 overs at stumps, trailing by 202 runs. Stuart van der Merwe was the top scorer with a gritty 41 off 76 balls, hitting four boundaries.

For the Shaheens, Mehran Mumtaz, Mubasir Khan, and Ubaid Khan each claimed two wickets to keep the pressure on the opposition.

 

[Ball Blazer]

Pakistan Shaheens tour to England

Second three-day match between Pakistan Shaheens and South Asian Cricket Academy & MCC Young Cricketers XI ended as drawn at the Spitfire Ground St Lawrence, Canterbury

Pakistan Shaheens: 385-8 dec & 196-2

South Asian Cricket Academy & MCC Young Cricketers XI: 278

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Ali Zaryab’s unbeaten ton headlines Shaheens’ final England tour match

Ali Zaryab struck a commanding unbeaten century as Pakistan Shaheens concluded their England tour with a drawn three-day fixture against the South Asian Cricket Academy & MCC Young Cricketers XI at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in Canterbury on Tuesday.

Resuming at 183 for six in 60 overs, the hosts were bowled out for 278 in 80.2 overs. Feroze Khushi anchored the innings with an unbeaten 90. For the Shaheens, Mubasir Khan led the bowling effort with three wickets, while Mehran Mumtaz and Musa Khan claimed two apiece.

In response, Pakistan Shaheens gained a 107-run first-innings lead but suffered an early setback as Azan Awais departed for five with just seven runs on the board. Opener Shamyl Hussain and Ali Zaryab then steadied the innings with a 142-run stand for the second wicket. Shamyl contributed 70 off 131 balls, laced with nine fours and a six.

Ali Zaryab’s century came off 141 deliveries and featured eight boundaries and a six. Pakistan Shaheens declared their second innings at 196 for two in 50.5 overs, bringing the match to a close with no outright result.

Earlier in the tour, Pakistan Shaheens clinched the three-match one-day series against Professional County Club Select XI 2-1, while their first three-day encounter against the same side also ended in a draw.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Imran Farhat, head coach Pakistan Shaheens talked exclusively to PCB Digital at the conclusion of the series and said:

“We have identified a strong group of youngsters who we believe are part of our future. Our bowling in the one-day series was good; every bowler delivered strong results and our fielding was spot on. We also made sure everyone got a chance to play in the series, we followed a process and kept a consistent rotation policy in place.

“Looking at the red-ball matches, we saw some great performances from the players. The areas we were looking to improve in the top order were addressed quite effectively. Going forward, these players will continue to gain experience in first-class cricket and hopefully establish themselves further.

“We have discovered several promising players, both in red-ball and white-ball formats, which is a very positive takeaway. Each player will now return with an individual development plan that focuses on areas they need to improve in, be it technical, tactical or professional aspects, to become fully prepared for international cricket.

“Our focus throughout has been on building a strong bench. These young players, through their performances, have shown they are capable. We also assessed how well they adapted to the English conditions. With the Pakistan national team due to tour here in the near future, it was essential for us to identify players who could adapt quickly and perform in these conditions.”

 

[Bewal Express]

Imran Farhat, head coach Pakistan Shaheens talked exclusively to PCB Digital at the conclusion of the series and said:

“We have identified a strong group of youngsters who we believe are part of our future. Our bowling in the one-day series was good; every bowler delivered strong results and our fielding was spot on. We also made sure everyone got a chance to play in the series, we followed a process and kept a consistent rotation policy in place.

“Looking at the red-ball matches, we saw some great performances from the players. The areas we were looking to improve in the top order were addressed quite effectively. Going forward, these players will continue to gain experience in first-class cricket and hopefully establish themselves further.

“We have discovered several promising players, both in red-ball and white-ball formats, which is a very positive takeaway. Each player will now return with an individual development plan that focuses on areas they need to improve in, be it technical, tactical or professional aspects, to become fully prepared for international cricket.

“Our focus throughout has been on building a strong bench. These young players, through their performances, have shown they are capable. We also assessed how well they adapted to the English conditions. With the Pakistan national team due to tour here in the near future, it was essential for us to identify players who could adapt quickly and perform in these conditions.”

Did he explain why this was a monumental waste of money?