Pakistan set testing target

Asad Shafiq
12 April 2012

Kamran Akmal and Asad Shafiq helped Pakistan pile up 294 for eight in their second NatWest Series match against England at Headingley on Sunday.

Akmal (74) dominated an opening stand of 122 in under 23 overs with Mohammad Hafeez, and Shafiq (50) ensured Pakistan cashed in - despite four wickets for the expensive Stuart Broad - to give themselves a chance to level the five-match series at 1-1.

Akmal unleashed a barrage of boundaries against the new ball, off Tim Bresnan in particular, as the Pakistan quickly demonstrated their appreciation of sunny conditions and a pitch of even pace after Shahid Afridi had won the toss.

Then Shafiq, a late replacement for this tour and playing in only his third one-day international, marked himself out as a significant future prospect with a 57-ball 50 which contained three fours and a memorable six over long-on off Graeme Swann.

The tourists, whose preparations for the limited-overs leg of their tour were undermined by the spot-fixing crisis which embroiled three of their original squad members, lost the first match by 24 runs in Chester-le-Street on Friday.

England were not at their sharpest in the field throughout, and Pakistan - particularly in Mohammad Yousuf and Shafiq's third-wicket stand of 74 in 13 overs - belied their previous reputation by running especially well.

Paul Collingwood was the unlikely provider of England's first wicket, although there was a suspicion the sweeping Akmal might have got his pad outside off-stump when given out lbw - having hit 12 fours from 72 balls.

Number three Yousuf soon lost Hafeez, bowled off his pads by a Swann off-break, but then played the match situation expertly until he edged to wicketkeeper Steven Davies as he attempted to guide one down to third-man off Broad.

Pakistan's batting powerplay began, in the 45th over, with the untimely wicket of Shafiq - well-caught by Ravi Bopara at point off a slow Broad bouncer, despite almost running into his captain Andrew Strauss.

Broad's over contained another wicket too, Umar Akmal edging behind as Yousuf had. But like his next, it yielded 13 runs - and in the last 10, Pakistan bagged a perhaps just slightly below-par 73.

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