Graceful Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam congratulate Pakistan for 2nd Test victory

Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam, who were rested for the last two Tests, were graceful in congratulating the Pakistan team for their memorable win vs England. Pakistan beat England by 152 runs in the 2nd Test in Multan.

In Short

• Pakistan beat England by 152 runs in 2nd Test
• Shaheen Afridi was rested for the 2nd and 3rd Test
• Noman Ali won Player of the Match for his 11-wicket match haul

Speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi and star batter Babar Azam were graceful in congratulating the Pakistan team for their mammoth win by 152 runs against England in the 2nd Test in Multan on October 18, Friday. Shaheen and Babar wer rested for the 2nd and 3rd Tests against England and weren't named in the squad. Shaheen took to X to hail Pakistan spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan as they shared all 20 wickets between them in the 2nd Test. Shaheen also praised Kamran Ghulam for his debut hundred, who was named as a replacement for Babar Azam for the last 2 Tests. Meanwhile, Babar hailed the team for their collective performance.

"Fantastic win at home! Congratulations to Pakistan. Noman Ali and Sajid khan were exceptional, along with a dream debut for Kamran Ghulam and a massive contribution from Salman Ali Agha. Keep it going, Inshallah!" Shaheen wrote on X as he praised the match winners from the 2nd Test. Pakistan broke their 11-match losing streak at home in Tests as they registered their very first win under Shan Masood's captaincy.

Shaheen and Babar's tweet

Pakistan's bold call pays off

Aamer Jamal was the only pacer in Pakistan's playing XI and the team didn't miss the services of their premium pacer, Shaheen. Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, the spin-duo, were the chief instigators in Pakistan's win vs England. Sajid led the charge in the first innings, dismantling England’s batting order with 7 wickets, while Noman chipped in with the rest. On Day 4, the spotlight shifted entirely to Noman, who delivered a career-best performance. Though Sajid provided the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Ollie Pope in the second over, it was Noman’s spell of 8/46 that ran through England’s batting lineup, sealing a memorable victory for Pakistan. His figures were the best ever by a Pakistan left-arm spinner in Test cricket.

Noman and Sajid’s feat made them only the seventh bowling pair in Test history to take all 20 wickets in a match. The last pair to achieve this milestone was Australia’s Bob Massie and Dennis Lillee, who tore through England at Lord’s in 1972. Massie claimed 16 wickets in that match, while Lillee took 4.

Meanwhile, Kamran Ghulam became the 13th Pakistan cricketer to score a Test hundred on his debut. Kamran, 29, became the second-oldest player after Abid Ali in 2019 to go past the three-figure mark on debut in the traditional format.