England v Pakistan

10-May-2006

Fazal Mahmood on his way 12 wickets at The Oval © Cricinfo

1954
Pakistan arrived for the first series against England and left as the first side to win a Test on their maiden trip. The first and third Tests were badly affected by the weather - the opening game at Lord's did not start until the fourth day - in what was generally a wet summer. England achieved a comfortable innings victory at Trent Bridge as Denis Compton hit 278 and, after a typically damp Old Trafford game, Pakistan achieved their moment of history at The Oval. It was a low-scoring affair - Wazir Mohammad top-scored for Pakistan with 42 not out - and the highest innings total was 164. The pitch was damp, and this was exploited by both teams' seamers. Frank Tyson took 4 for 35 and Johnny Wardle 7 for 56, but the star was Fazal Mahmood. He claimed 12 wickets, sending down 60 overs in the match.
England 1 Pakistan 1

1961-62
The series formed part of an arduous tour that lasted from October 8, 1961 to February 20, 1962 - with the Tests against Pakistan being split either side of a tour of India. Ted Dexter led England to victory in his first Test as captain, after Pakistan had declared their first innings. Javed Burki's 138 was cancelled out by Ken Barrington's 139 before England were left needing 208 in 250 minutes. At 108 for 5, the game was wide open but Dexter and Bob Barber added 101 in 85 minutes to seal the win. The two remaining Tests, played two-and-a-half months later, were high-scoring draws. Burki notched up 140 at Dhaka and Geoff Puller hit 165 in the same match. Dexter then capped his first series win as captain with a double-century in Karachi.
Pakistan 0 England 1

1962

England completely overwhelmed Pakistan and the series would have ended in a 5-0 whitewash had it not been for the weather in Nottingham, which helped Pakistan after they had been asked to follow on. England's batsmen enjoyed themselves during the summer, seven averaged over 70, with Peter Parfitt and Tom Graveney both averaging three-figures. Dexter was the leading run-scorer with 446 from six innings, while Graveney and Colin Cowdery also passed 400 runs. The bowling was led by Fred Trueman (22 wickets) and Brian Statham (16 wickets). Trueman took 6 for 31 at Lord's as Pakistan were skittled for 100. In that Test, Len Cordwell, who played only seven Tests, took 6 for 85 in the second innings and 9 for 110 in the match. They would remain his best figures in a short Test career. For Pakistan, the main highlight was the performance of Mushtaq Mohammad, who made 401 runs at 44, but the rest of the batsmen struggled and none of the bowlers managed more than six wickets in the series.
England 4 Pakistan 0

1967
England dominated the series after Pakistan had produced a creditable draw in the opening Test at Lord's. That match was graced by centuries from Barrington and Hanif Mohammad, who added 130 in the first innings with Asif Iqbal. The second Test, at Trent Bridge, was a low-scoring affair with England bowlers dominating: especially Ken Higgs and Derek Underwood. Barrington scored another century as England eased to a 10-wicket win. They sealed the series 2-0 at The Oval - Barrington making it a hat-trick of hundreds - while Higgs again starred with the ball. However, the match is mostly remembered for Iqbal's stunning 146, and his stand of 190 with Intikhab Alam for the ninth wicket, a record which stood for 30 years.

England 2 Pakistan 0

1968-69

The action on the pitch was overshadowed by scenes off it - a pattern that would be repeated in future tours of Pakistan. Cowdrey's 100 in the opening Test was scored amid student unrest but, despite some fine bowling from Bob Cottam, England couldn't push home and seal the win. A painfully slow pitch in Dhaka for the second Test did not produce much of a spectacle as runs came a turgid pace, although the match was notable for a superb hundred by Basil d'Oliveria. Rioting brought an early end to the final Test - and the tour - after England had reached 502 for 7 at Karachi. Colin Milburn made a dashing hundred and Alan Knott was unable to score the four runs he needed to reach his ton when play was called off.

Pakistan 0 England 0

1971

England gained a narrow series victory when they edged home by 25 runs in the third Test at Headingley. Pakistan had taken all the honours in a drawn first Test - Zaheer Abbas made 274 and England followed on - before rain ruined the Lord's match. So it was all-square heading to Leeds and Geoff Boycott scored a hundred on his home ground. However, Pakistan gained a slender lead thanks to Wasim Bari and England were wobbling at 142 for 5 in their second innings. But d'Oliveira and Ray Illingworth added 106, then Illingworth grabbed three wickets and Sadiq Mohammad's 91 was not enough for Pakistan.

England 1 Pakistan 0

1972-73

A high-scoring series ended in stalemate with neither bowling attack possessing enough firepower to overcome the flat wickets. England did find themselves in trouble during the first Test after centuries from Sadiq Mohammad and Asif Iqbal gave Pakistan a first innings lead of 67. But Tony Lewis and Tony Greig batted watchfully before the game petered out. At Hyderabad the batsmen really cashed in as England made 487 - with Dennis Amiss hitting his second hundred of the series - and Pakistan replied with 569 for 9. Mushtaq Mohammad and Intikhab Alam struck centuries. However, the match burst into life on the final afternoon when England slumped to 77 for 5. They had Greig and Alan Knott to thank for playing out the day. The final Test was notable for incidents off, as well as on, the pitch. Time was lost to rioting and pitch invasions, while Pakistan's batsmen again filled their boots. Mushtaq and Majid Khan fell on 99 - as did Amiss for England - before Jack Birkenshaw and Norman Gifford ran through Pakistan in the second innings.

Pakistan 0 England 0

1974

The series may have ended in a 0-0 draw but it was not without its moments of drama and controversy. The first Test at Headingley was heading for a tight conclusion on the final day with England needing 44 and Pakistan looking for four wickets. However, no play was possible and rain again played a deciding part in the second Test at Lord's. This time, water seeped under the covers - the Pakistan management were fuming as Derek Underwood exploited ideal conditions to take 13 for 71 - but most felt that justice had been done when the final day was washed out with England needing 60 more runs with ten wickets in hand. The final Test was a run feast as Zaheer Abbas made 240 and Dennis Amiss replied with 183. Keith Fletcher added a turgid 122 and the match fizzled out into a draw.

England 0 Pakistan 0

Geoff Boycott prepares to lead England for the first time, Karachi, 1978 © Cricinfo

1977-78
This series rarely came to life as lifeless pitches and conservative batting brought the third consecutive 0-0 draw between these two teams. England were briefly in trouble during the opening Test at Lahore as Iqbal Qasim's left-arm spin threatened them with the follow on, but Geoff Miller made an unbeaten 98. Pakistan were on top again in the second Test at Hyderabad but Wasim Bari left his second innings declaration until late on the fourth day. Geoff Boycott then made 100 not out, adding 185 for the first wicket with Mike Brearley as England comfortably batted out the final day. The final Test, where Boycott captained England for the first time after Brearley broke an arm, was more notable for the controversy off the pitch, were England objected to the presence of three Packer players - Mushtaq Mohammad, Zaheer Abbas and Imran Khan - at the Pakistan nets. The match nearly didn't happen and, when it did, there was little memorable action. Abdul Qadir and Phil Edmonds produced fine exhibitions of spin bowling, but not even three innings were completed.
Pakistan 0 England 0

1978
A thoroughly one-sided series, dominated by the England seamer bowlers' stranglehold over the Pakistan batting. David Gower made his first mark on Test cricket by pulling his first ball for four at Edgbaston, while Clive Radley and Ian Botham struck hundreds and Chris Old took four wickets in five balls. The second Test was an even more convincing innings win - this time it was Botham who starred with bat and ball. His 108 rescued England from 134 for 5, then he demolished Pakistan's second innings with 8 for 34. Bob Willis was also in the wickets against a hapless batting line-up. The series ended on distinctly soggy note at Headingley where only 10-and-a-half hours' play was possible. Sadiq Mohammad made a gusty 97 and Sarfraz Nawaz troubled the England batsmen with 5 for 39.

England 2 Pakistan 0

1982

England clinched a hard-fought series, but Pakistan gave them a real test. England won the first Test at Edgbaston by 113 runs, but they were far from comfortable. The teams were almost level on first innings - England's 272 played Pakistan's 251 - then Bob Taylor and Willis added 79 for the last wicket in the second innings, setting Pakistan 313. Willis and Botham surged through the top order to leave them reeling at 77 for 6 and Imran Khan's 65 was not enough for Pakistan. However, Pakistan achieved only their second victory over England with a superb allround display at Lord's. Mohsin Khan struck 200 then Abdul Qadir and Mudassar Nazar dismissed England twice. But Bob Taylor and Robin Jackman almost defied the attack for long enough before Pakistan chased 76 in 18 overs, winning by 10 wickets. England were back on top at Headingley - although not without a fight. Willis was back from injury and he and Botham shared 15 wickets. Graeme Fowler anchored England's chase of 219 but a late wobble kept Pakistan interested until the end.
Tests England 2 Pakistan 1
ODIs England 2 Pakistan 0

1983-84

Pakistan achieved their first series win over England through their three-wicket victory in the open Test at Karachi. England were unable to cope with the legspin bowling of Abdul Qadir, who took eight wickets, as only Gower made any impression with a half century in each innings. However, chasing 65 to win, Pakistan nearly collapsed in a heap against Nick Cook, who claimed 5 for 18 to add to his 6 for 65 in the first innings. After that low-scoring affair the cricket returned to type at Faisalabad. Salim Malik and Wasim Raja struck hundreds and Gower replied in kind for England. Pakistan should have wrapped up the series 2-0 at Lahore after England, needing to win to square the series, set them 243 following Gower's 173. Mohsin and Shoaib Mohammad opened with 173 but the middle order panicked against Norman Cowans and they settled for a draw during the final hour.

Tests Pakistan 1 England 0

ODIs Pakistan 1 England 1

1987
The opening two Tests were ruined by the weather with half the playing time lost at Old Trafford and only seven hours possible at Lord's. However, at Headingley Pakistan surged to an innings and 18 run win with Imran taking 10 for 77 in the match. England were skittled for 136 the Salim Malik's 99 engineered a lead of 217. Imran was unstoppable in the second innings, tearing through the batting to finish with 7 for 40. England almost came back in stunning fashion at Edgbaston in a high-scoring encounter. Pakistan racked up 439, but England went better and piled up 521. With Neil Foster taking four wickets England needed 124 in 18 overs against Imran and Wasim Akram. Amid a flurry of shots and wickets the bowlers held their nerve and England fell 15 runs short. The Oval became a celebration of Pakistani batting as Javed Miandad made 260, Malik 102 and Imran 118 with the total reaching a mammoth 708. England folded under such a weight of runs and followed on, but saved some face thanks to Mike Gatting's 150 on the final day, which denied Pakistan a 2-0 series win.
Tests England 0 Pakistan 1
ODIs England 2 Pakistan 1

1987-88
Pakistan sealed their third consecutive series win over England, but the series will be remembered more for controversy than cricket. England were completely outplayed in the first Test with Qadir taking 9 for 56 in the first innings and 13 wickets in the match. However, already the relations between the teams were souring as Chris Broad refused to walk when given out and Mike Gatting made his feelings clear about the umpiring after the match. The umpiring was indeed poor, although both sides suffered. Gatting's temper spilled over at Faisalabad in the second Test with the infamous finger-wagging against Shakoor Rana, one of the umpires. Accusations flew left, right and centre and the third day's play was lost as Rana refused to resume umpiring until Gatting apologised. Gatting eventually, and through gritted teeth, said sorry and the match ended in a draw, but that wasn't the end. Before the third Test began England objected to the appointment of Shakeel Khan as an umpire and replacements had to be sent for. This series ended in apt fashion when, at tea on the final, Miandad decided there wasn't going to be a result and announced the game was over. Both sides were glad to see the end of the tour but it sewed seeds of discontent which remained for some time. The English board hardly helped by rewarding the players with a hardship bonus of £1000.

Tests Pakistan 1 England 0

ODIs Pakistan 0 England 3

1992
Played in the aftermath of the World Cup final between the two teams, the Test series provide thrills, spills and no little controversy - despite two rain-affected draws at Edgbaston and Old Trafford. The series will be remembered for Wasim and Waqar Younis at their destructive best; Aqib Javed being warned for intimidation against Devon Malcolm; the wiles of Mushtaq Ahmed, and the batting of Alec Stewart. Pakistan edged home at Lord's when Wasim and Waqar came to the fore - but this time with the bat. Then England levelled on a typical Headingley wicket with Neil Mallender - a typical Headingley selection - taking eight wickets on debut. But a final confrontation with reverse-swinging yorkers at The Oval proved too much. However, England did take out the one-day series comfortable with some impressive performances.

Tests England 1 Pakistan 2

ODIs England 4 Pakistan 1

1996
Pakistan cricket at its best - aggressive batting, brilliant swing bowler and world-class wrist spin - underpinned the series. At Lord's and The Oval, England collapsed on the final day to a combination of Waqar's swing and Mushtaq's spin. Pakistan were never short of runs with Inzamam, Saeed Anwar and Salim Malik producing centuries. For England, the main positive was the stunning form of Alec Stewart who struck a memorable 170 at Headingley while, at the Oval, John Crawley made a maiden Test century. England gained partial revenge for their Test defeat by claiming the one-day series 2-1, with Nick Knight making back-to-back centuries in his first ODI series.

Tests England 0 Pakistan 2

ODIs England 2 Pakistan 1

2000-01

Following two dull draws at Lahore and Faisalabad - highlighted by neither side's ability to grab the matches by the scruff of the neck - England clinched their first victory in Pakistan since 1961-62 on a crazy last day at Karachi. For the best part of four days the final Test was heading in a similar manner to the first two, a high-scoring draw. Yousuf Youhana's century was cancelled out by Mike Atherton's nine-hour epic. However, moments before lunch on the final day England removed Youhana and the tail folded to a mixture of reverse swing and slower balls from Darren Gough and Craig White. Needing 176 in 44 overs, England lost wickets to the spinners before Graham Thorpe and Graeme Hick added 91 in the fading light. Moin Khan spread his field, hoping that darkness would descend before England got the runs, but the umpires were not fooled by the time-wasting and allowed the batsmen to carry on. With total darkness just moments away, Thorpe edged a delivery through Moin's legs - although few people were able to see the winning runs.
Tests Pakistan 0 England 1
ODIs Pakistan 2 England 1

2001

Fresh from their subcontinent triumphs during the winter England started the summer with a bang at a bitterly cold Lord's. When play began after a first day washout, it was just six degrees in the middle. However, England's batsmen raised the temperature with some attacking batting -Thorpe top-scored with 80. Gough and Andrew Caddick then demolished Pakistan twice as England won late on the fourth day. After enjoying themselves on the rollercoasters in Blackpool, Pakistan were a rejuvenated team at Old Trafford. Inzamam and Yousuf Youhana powered them along at four runs an over. However, when Michael Vaughan hit his first Test century and Thorpe an impressive 138, England were 282 for 2, heading for a commanding lead. Thorpe's run out sparked a collapse as eight wickets fell for 75 runs. Inzamam then hit 85 as Pakistan built a lead of 370. With England only two wickets down at tea on the final day a draw was virtually nailed on, but the game hurtled towards a controversial finale as Saqlain Mushtaq ran through the middle order although the result was overshadowed by the courtesy of a series of missed no-balls by David Shepherd.
England 1 Pakistan 1

2005-06
England's post-Ashes euphoria proved shortlived as Pakistan outplayed them at crucial moments of the series to take a deserved 2-0 win. Everything seemed to be going to plan for England in the first Test at Multan, when Marcus Trescothick's 193 established a comfortable first-innings lead, but Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria blended pace and guile to trigger an astonishing last-day collapse of nine wickets for 111, and victory by 22 runs. Thereafter Pakistan lorded the series. Inzamam-ul-Haq was peerless at Faisalabad, where he grabbed twin hundreds to overtake Javed Miandad's national record, and at Lahore, Shoaib was on target once again, as a demoralised England were bundled to a massive innings defeat. The one-day series was more one-sided than Pakistan's 3-2 win suggests. Their victory by 165 runs at Karachi equalled England's heaviest drubbing of all time.
Tests Pakistan 2 England 0
ODIs Pakistan 3 England 2

2006
This series will always be remembered for how it finished as Pakistan refused to take the field after tea on the fourth day at The Oval having been penalised for ball tampering by Darrell Hair. It led to ugly scenes with Inzamam-ul-Haq keeping his players in the changing room as England's not-out batsmen, Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell, wandered out with the umpires to resume. After brief discussions Hair removed the bails to end the match and launch cricket into another crisis. England were awarded the match and for a while it appeared the tour would end there, but the one-day series did take place. Pakistan had been on course to secure a consolation victory at The Oval, but the home side were well worth their 2-0 lead. Steve Harmison's pace and Monty Panesar's spin ruled at Old Trafford after a high-scoring draw at Lord's before Headingley produced a wonderful match. Both teams passed 500 in their first innings - and Pakistan held a slender advantage - but Andrew Strauss, standing in for stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff, hit a second-innings hundred before Panesar and Sajid Mahmood skittled Pakistan on the final day.
Tests England 3 Pakistan 0
ODIs England 2 Pakistan 2