ENG vs PAK: Saqib Mahmood Strikes As England 'C Team' Thrash Pakistan
Saqib Mahmood marked his return to England duty with a four-wicket haul as the completely changed hosts put their Covid-19 problems behind them with an emphatic nine-wicket win over Pakistan in the fi
Player of the match Mahmood took an ODI best 4-42 as Pakistan were skittled out for just 141 with more than 14 overs left to bat. England, the reigning 50-over world champions, made 142-1 to go 1-0 up in a three-match series ahead of Saturday's clash at Lord's. Dawid Malan was 68 not out after a run-a-ball fifty.
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Together with Test batsman Zak Crawley (58 not out), one of five ODI debutants in the England team, he shared an unbroken stand of 120 as a match scheduled for 100 overs finished in a mere 67.1.
England were fielding a completely changed XI from their previous ODI - the first time this had happened to any side in the 50-year history of the format - after a Covid-19 outbreak within their existing squad during a recent 2-0 series win at home to Sri Lanka required all 16 players originally selected to play against Pakistan to self-isolate.
In addition, injuries to fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Olly Stone and wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler meant they were effectively without two first-choice XIs. Yet their 'C team' dominated from the moment Mahmood took a wicket with the first ball of the match - and then dismissed Pakistan captain Babar Azam, the world's top-ranked ODI batsman, for a duck with the third ball.
