A lot has been said and written about the factors influencing Pakistan’s victory – a slow wicket, a weak England side, favorable umpiring decisions, and in particular their much publicized pre-season bootcamp.
However, let us not take any credit away from the players themselves. The Pakistani team batted, bowled and fielded better than England to win the Test match. In doing so, they also won the hearts of the British public with a remarkable turn of events 6 years after the embarrassing spot-fixing scandal at the same ground.
The first Test defeat at Lord's will serve as a wake-up call for the English team. Having had a relatively easy summer against Sri Lanka, the English team were unexpectedly caught off-guard.
In my article last week, I highlighted that the English middle order was very vulnerable, and this proved to be the case - especially in the 1st innings.
For the next game at Old Trafford, England has made number of changes. It is likely that Anderson, Rashid and Stokes are going to be in the starting XI.
I personally thought England bowled well at Lords. It was just that they didn’t have adequate support from their batsmen and fielders. The margin for error in Test cricket is very small, and the result could have been very different had Misbah not been dropped in the first innings.
Another turning point in the game was the first innings dismissal of Joe Root, who played a reckless shot to get out. With England cruising at 118 for 1, his dismissal exposed the inexperienced middle order to Yasir Shah.
Sources close to the English team have also indicated that the team was not pleased with the post-match Pakistani celebrations. England will be as hungry as ever to avenge their defeat and will not panic after Lord's. Ironically, England also lost the Test matches at Lord's in the summer of 2014 and 2015, but still went to win the overall series (against India and Australia respectively). They must focus on doing the basics well and wait for the Pakistani team to make mistakes.
Almost everything has gone to plan for Pakistan on this tour, and they are arguably going into Old Trafford as slight favorites.
Pakistan often has a tendency to get carried away and their real test begins now. The English summer is not only demanding from a physical/fitness point of view, but it also requires the players to quickly adapt their style of play across different pitches/grounds.
Old Trafford has a reputation for being a fast bowler friendly pitch – the Pakistani batsmen will no doubt be vulnerable to the extra bounce the wicket produces. But the return of James Anderson at his home ground presents the biggest challenge for Pakistan. If the Pakistani batsmen thought that the bowling of Chris Woakes was testing, then they must mentally prepare themselves for a much tougher battle against Anderson.
I personally (still) was not convinced by the Pakistani batting at Lords. The opening batsmen did not look comfortable on what was a relatively slow wicket. It was also painful to see the struggles of Younus Khan, who looked a shadow of his former self. And what is with the unnecessary movement across the crease?
Lastly, as I mentioned in the preview of the Lord's game, Pakistan’s slip catching is an area of concern. Steve Rixon is working hard with the team on their fielding, but considerable improvements are still needed.
It’s almost too close to call and will no doubt be another fantastic Test match.
While Pakistan have the momentum, the return and form of James Anderson will be crucial in determining the final result. His return will also provide a boost in confidence to Stuart Broad.
If Pakistan is able to counter the new ball threat through solid opening stands, then the bowlers will no doubt give Pakistan a 2-0 lead. Otherwise, it will be advantage England for the series.
Omar is an Oxford University graduate and is working as a management consultant in London. He has recently completed his MBA from INSEAD. As well as being a keen player, he regularly travels to follow the Pakistan team overseas.
KARACHI - Following are the foreign currency exchange rates for US Dollar, Saudi Riyal, UK Pound Sterling, U.A.E. Dirham, European Euro, and other foreign currencies in Pakistan open market on February 5, 2023 (Sunday).
Source: Forex Association of Pakistan. (last update 09:00 AM)
Currency | Symbol | Buying | Selling |
US Dollar | USD | 280.9 | 284.25 |
Euro | EUR | 299 | 302 |
UK Pound Sterling | GBP | 335 | 338 |
U.A.E Dirham | AED | 75.14 | 75.44 |
Saudi Riyal | SAR | 73.55 | 73.85 |
Australian Dollar | AUD | 192 | 194 |
Bahrain Dinar | BHD | 712.72 | 720.72 |
Canadian Dollar | CAD | 205 | 207 |
China Yuan | CNY | 39.67 | 40.07 |
Danish Krone | DKK | 39.33 | 39.73 |
Hong Kong Dollar | HKD | 34.19 | 34.54 |
Indian Rupee | INR | 3.28 | 3.39 |
Japanese Yen | JPY | 2.5 | 2.54 |
Kuwaiti Dinar | KWD | 878 | 887 |
Malaysian Ringgit | MYR | 62.83 | 63.43 |
New Zealand Dollar | NZD | 173.25 | 175.25 |
Norwegians Krone | NOK | 26.79 | 27.09 |
Omani Riyal | OMR | 696.08 | 704.08 |
Qatari Riyal | QAR | 73.62 | 74.32 |
Singapore Dollar | SGD | 204 | 206 |
Swedish Korona | SEK | 25.61 | 25.91 |
Swiss Franc | CHF | 291.69 | 294.19 |
Thai Bhat | THB | 8.15 | 8.3 |
KARACHI – The price of a single tola of 24-karat gold in Pakistan is Rs 205,300 on Sunday. The price of 10 grams of 24k gold was recorded at Rs176,010.
Likewise, 10 grams of 22k gold were being traded for Rs167,318 while a single tola of 22-karat gold was being sold at Rs 195,157.
Note: The gold rate in Pakistan is fluctuating according to the international market so the price is never been fixed. The below rates are provided by local gold markets and Sarafa Markets of different cities.
City | Gold | Silver |
Lahore | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Karachi | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Islamabad | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Peshawar | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Quetta | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Sialkot | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Attock | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Gujranwala | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Jehlum | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Multan | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Bahawalpur | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Gujrat | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Nawabshah | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Chakwal | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Hyderabad | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Nowshehra | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Sargodha | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Faisalabad | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
Mirpur | PKR 205,300 | PKR 2,360 |
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