Five memorable Pakistan-England Tests

Pakistan team coach Saqlain Mushtaq talks with captain Babar Azam during a training session in Rawalpindi.
| Photo Credit: AP

Pakistan play England for the first time since 2005, with the home Test series starting on December 1, 2022.

AFP Sport looks at five of the most memorable matches since the two sides first met in 1954.

The Oval, 1954

Pakistan were on their first tour of England since earning Test status two years earlier, and despite being regarded as the “babies” of the sport, they beat a formidable home side — with pacer Fazal Mahmood taking 12 wickets in the fourth match.

After Frank Tyson and Peter Loader bundled Pakistan out for a mere 133, Pakistan hit back through their pace duo of Fazal (6-53) and Khan Mohammad (4-58) to take a slender three-run lead.

Pakistan managed 164 in their second innings to set a 168-run target, but despite having Denis Compton and Len Hutton in their ranks, England were routed by Fazal’s 6-46.

Playing only their ninth Test, Pakistan won by 24 runs.

Faisalabad, 1987

The second Test of the three-match series will always be remembered for the on-field confrontation between England skipper Mike Gatting and Pakistan umpire Shakoor Rana.

Rana accused Gatting of attempting to change the field as the bowler was running in, leading to a face-to-face confrontation with raised voices and jabbing fingers.

Rana demanded an apology, but Gatting initially refused — and no play was held on day three.

The matter escalated to the extent that the rest of the tour was thrown into doubt, and the foreign offices of both nations got involved.

Eventually, Gatting relented, and the match resumed — petering out into a stale draw overshadowed by the controversy.

Karachi, 2000

England achieved only their second Test victory in Pakistan, breaking the home nation’s 34-match unbeaten streak at the National Stadium.

Pakistan lost the plot on the fifth morning, losing their last six wickets for only 30 runs.

That gave England a target of 176 runs, which they achieved for six wickets in near darkness and just 15 balls remaining.

In the gloom, Pakistan captain Moin Khan repeatedly appealed for the match to be called off, but West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor rejected his pleas — reminding him it was only the batting side’s prerogative to “take the light”.

The Oval, 2006

The Test was poised for an intriguing finish until Inzamam-ul-Haq refused to take the field on the fourth day.

The Pakistan skipper was incensed at the decision of the umpires — Australian Darrell Hair and West Indian Billy Doctrove — to add five runs to England’s total because of ball tampering.

After an hour of deadlock Inzamam finally lead his side out, only for the umpires to rule Pakistan had already forfeited the game.

Inzamam was later cleared of ball tampering, but banned for four one-day internationals for his actions.

Umpire Hair was also censured, and suspended from the elite panel for nearly two years.

Lord’s, 2010

The fourth day of the Test started under the shadow of a shocking report in The News of the World newspaper of three Pakistan players involved in a spot-fixing scandal.

The report said sports agent Mazhar Majeed accepted 150,000 pounds from an undercover reporter to arrange deliberate no-balls from Pakistan’s bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.

Amir and Asif had bowled no-balls during the match — on the orders of skipper Salman Butt, they said — and all three were later jailed in Britain and banned from cricket.

England won the match by an innings and 225 runs to take the series 3-1.