English press praise Pakistan performance

The English press Monday heaped praise on opener Marcus Trescothick but not only felt that he was lucky but also believed Pakistan were terribly unlucky not to win the third and final one-day international at Lord's that would have given them the series 2-1.

Mike Selvey, writing in The Guardian under the caption "Trescothick grits his teeth and drags England home", said: "Yesterday Trescothick dug as deep as ever he can have done to score his fifth one-day international century, and it carried England to a dramatic victory over Pakistan in the third and final one-day international of the series.

"England took the honours 2-1 in what was a ding-dong series."

The Guardian observed that if the game was close "Pakistan - who had been 165 for six at one stage but with 91 from the last 10 overs finished on 229 for seven - will reflect on their profligacy, not to mention the shoddy luck which saw them drop three catches, miss four run-outs and have Michael Vaughan bowled neck and crop by a Sami no-ball.

"Twice Trescothick should have been run-out, first before he had scored and again after jabbing late on a Sami yorker, and Mohammad Hafeez decked a dimple chance at midwicket after the left-hander, on 35, flicked loosely at Abdul Razzaq.

"Much later, on 93 and with the game in the balance, Trescothick edged Shoaib Akhtar to Rashid Latif behind the stumps but the Pakistan captain spoiled a brilliant day by putting it down.

"Perhaps the force was with the batsman after all."

Former England pacer Derek Pringle, in the Daily Telegraph, saw Pakistan's fight back and effort differently.

"Part of the Pakistan team's make-up, along with most of their countrymen, is in the inshallah (god willing) attitude they take to playing their cricket. Based on the same fearlessness that sees apparently sane men in Pakistan overtake on blind bends, they just keep attacking.

"It is both their strength and their weakness, leading either to glorious victory or spectacular demise with not much in between."

Colin Bateman, writing in Daily Express under the headline "Trescothick rides his luck to pip Pakistan", said: "He [Trescothick] will rarely play two more contrasting innings than he has over the past three days for England, but Marcus Trescothick showed his winter of misery has been laid to rest.

"... he should have been run out for one and he was dropped on 35 and 93, both straightforward chances. But he hung in there to guide England's novice middle-order through a crisis."

Daily Express, referring to Pakistan onslaught in the final 10 overs, said: "Javed Miandad, the wily coach, preaches the virtue of keeping wickets in hand for the late run dash in one-day cricket and his team obeyed.

"Although they had scored only 138 from the first 40 overs, Pakistan had five wickets in hand which allowed their experienced middle-order to cut loose with some security.

"Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood added 91 of those last 10 overs to read a highly respectable total."

Samiul Hasan
Media Manager - Pakistan Cricket Team
23 June 2003