Test Match Special - Pakistan win thriller despite Moeen Ali heroics

Episode Date: September 1, 2020

Pakistan squared the T20 series against England with an exciting 5 run win in the 3rd T20 at Emirates Old Trafford. Daniel Norcross is joined by James Anderson, Aatif Nawaz and England World Cup winner Alex Hartley to review the game plus we hear from Moeen Ali, Mohammad Hafeez and Eoin Morgan.

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It's the last deliverer. of this match. England need a six to win the game. Pakistan, anything else, and they'll be fine. In comes Highest Ralph. He bowls. Tom Curran gets underneath it, but he can't get the ball away. It goes through to the keeper. That is the end of the match. Harris now, Ralph, holds his nerve,

and Pakistan win the 30-20 by five runs here at Uttrafford. They square up the series at one all, and finally, after two and a half months of being in the bio bubble and facing up to this England time, every England side, every time they finally pick up a win before they go home. expertly darned Artif Thank you very much

That was the ball Presumably you thought he should have bowled off the Beldom of board Yeah absolutely brilliantly finished off by Harris Ralph Getting the ball under the bat Perfect Yorker

90 miles an hour I mean it's hard for A guy who's 80 not out to hit those So let alone someone who's just Come to the crease in Tom Curran But brilliantly done by Pakistan Very well deserved victory

Their experienced players Come into the four In these T20s Mohammed Afiz Wahab Riyaz today with a ball just brilliant to watch it's been a really fascinating series and unfortunate there's not a winner due to the Manchester weather

but an entertaining series nonetheless well it's a really really great game wasn't it I mean England lose by a five runs I'll be disappointed obviously because having got that rate down at 10 and over needing 42 or 4 with Moeen set the wicket of Gregory was important wasn't it? That Shaheen a free delivery that got him and that's a change the entire balance

because those two were taking the game away from Pakistan. Yeah, of course. The best thing you can do in a run chase when it's getting tight is take wickets. The best way to slow the run rate down is to take wickets and that's exactly what Pakistan did. Brilliant bowling from Shaheen to get Louis Gregory, good change of pace, deceived him in the air

and then who else would you want in that situation bowling the penultimate over? Wahhabriaz. He's got all the experience in the world. He's got pace. he's got good change-ups, good variations, slow-balls and things like that, and he absolutely nailed it.

And Moines Alley, who was not out, he was going really well, hitting everyone else to all parts of the ground, just couldn't deal with it and picked up that important wicket. So, yeah, just brilliantly done by Pakistan. Showed really good in house as well, didn't he? I mean, coming round the wicket

and staying round the wicket, to both right-hand, around, left-hander. Yeah, obviously really comfortable with that line of attack, knew exactly what he wanted to do was bowling to a plan. That was the over, that did it for Pakistan, wasn't it?

Yeah, I think he clearly had a plan, but what you've still got to do as a bowler is execute the deliveries that you're bowling, to bowl to the field, and also read the batsmen, so he bowled a slow ball to Mouin early on in the over, then Mouin sort of predicted a slow ball, but then you bowled a quicker one, which deceived him again.

And also, you've got to give credit to the captain, Baburazam, for bowling what I have in that penultimate over. Very easy to keep your best bowler to the last one, but then the game could have already gone so he's bowled him in the penult over it's really paid off with those two wickets well Mowen had done that and he hit Shadab's last over for 20

and I guess the danger might have been if Harris Ralph had just felt that pressure he could easily have gone for 14, 15 would have given, basically we'll have nothing to play with so absolutely terrific captaincy but really good game toe to toe both sides obviously Pakistan will come out on top

will take a lot of positives from it England though as well will not be massively despondent, going into a series against Australia in a week's time. They know that they're going to be, well, I say that they know, we don't know what teams are select, but they might well have Butler back, well, they might have Jason Roy back. It's going to be a different look. They'll have Joffre Archer back as well, which do you think that's a really significant element of, having watched now England bowl twice, the full 20 overs,

how would you characterise their bowling performance? I thought they were better today. I thought they executed their skills better. They got the Yorkers in much better than the second T20. And I feel for the guys that aren't in this, you know, Saki Mahmood, he's just, you know, getting a bit of momentum going. Wouldn't have played much cricket this summer. And you need cricket to get up to match speed

and to be able to practice those skills. But from an English point of view, I mean, it's great that there's been so many positives in this series. So many players putting their hand up, getting runs, taking wickets, and then you've got the quality to come back in like Joss Butler, like Jason Roy, like Jopra Archer, like Mark Wood.

It's an embarrassment of riches really and it's really exciting. So I think Australia another brilliant T20 side, as Pakistan are, so it would be a big test for England, but great that those guys are coming back in. Andy. One difference between the

sides today. Similar amount of boundaries. 8, 6 is and 14-4s by Pakistan. 7-6 is 17-4s by England helping to make this the 7th highest-scoring T20 International in England. Sunday's game was the 6th out of the 70 played. Dot balls, however, 33 dot balls played out by Pakistan.

45 by England. So we mentioned at the start of the series what we had here is essentially the strongest, most explosive batting side in top level T20 international cricket against the best bowling side. And we've had a wonderful series coming out of that Clash.

Sorry, a little chat about Tom Banton, because he's impressed twice now, but what he might be slightly remembered for today is Owen Morgan's dismissal, and England could really have done with Owen Morgan there, but what you've seen of Tom Bantan, do you think he's getting himself very much in the frame for the squad for the T20 World Cup?

I think so, yeah, he's done himself no harm at all. I think he's a ray of shots, the temperament as well. I think it was the first game where he didn't go all guns blazing right from the start. He actually took his time to get used to the pace of the pitch and then started to expand and play a few more shots, plays, reverse sweeps, his ramps. So he's got a little bit of nowse about him as well as well as the talent. And I think a calmness as well in a run chase today showed plenty of good temperament.

Obviously the runout wasn't ideal, but that can happen in T20 cricket. So I wouldn't read too much into that. but he's definitely done himself a huge amount of good in this series and I'm sure it leaves England sort of with a tough choice obviously there's lots of quality to come back in but I think if you're going to go into a World Cup you just never know what's going to happen in a year's time you could have injuries and things like that

so it's great to have someone like him in the squad a word on some of the more fringe players it's hard isn't it in T20 to make an impression if you're coming in at number six especially when you've got a top order that's firing. So, you know, I always feel a little bit sorry for Sam Billings. I saw it did very well in the three one-day internationals against Ireland. But, you know, he comes in at sort of six.

It's hard, isn't it, to sort of make that impression. He's excellent in the field. I guess he gives it, that's a large part of his game. How would you characterize his series? Well, again, I think he's been in around the squad. I'm not, you know, probably wouldn't make your strongest England T20 side. But great to having your squad. Like you say, great in the field.

And he has got the ability to hit the ball. You know, similar to Joss Butler, I guess. I know Tom Banton can hit all around the ground. And pretty good at usually finishing out games. I know he didn't do it today. But he's got that sort of good mindset to be able to play the situation of the game very well. So I think, yeah, he'll be someone potentially not in the England's stronger side, but he'll definitely make the squad.

So looking ahead to the Australia series, today it was very noticeable Pakistan had a lot of pace up front didn't they shine a freely but it's first over every ball was coming through at 90 miles an hour England didn't quite have that pace

for the ball but they'd expect to get it back with Archer could you see them going with Archer and Wood potentially yeah they did it in the test test matches so I don't see why not I think we've seen today

how that pace up front can be really really difficult especially if you get the ball to move off straight, which Shaheen did. It can cause batsmen a lot of problems. And I think that's what England would be wanting, that X-fact. It's something we talked about it at the time. They've not picked up as many wickets as they probably would have liked in the first six overs of the last few T-20s. So getting that firepower, those strike bowlers is going to be key for any success in the future.

For Pakistan, a start felt like he was born a bit today. I know we can leap to ridiculous conclusions really early on. a young man's career and he's only 19 years and 335 days old but he had his second ball for six and it just oozed confidence and power it was a pretty impressive knock from him wasn't it

yeah well that that partnership with Muhammad Hafiz you'd have struggled to know which one was the experienced batsman and which one was making their debut he was that confident right from ball one pick the right shots to play he obviously favoured the leg side a little bit maybe

but hit the ball cleanly and just oozed confidence and I think at 19 years old he could go on to be a real star for Pakistan in the future Now you've played against Pakistan now in the test series

and you've seen all the T20 series There are I'm not going to use the M word The mercurial word I'm not going to do it I refuse to do it But we've seen a 19 year old

fast bow room Shane Shara Friedi, 17-year of fast bowler in Nazim Shah, seeing this young batsman head of rally, but they still mix that with great experience, Shah and Mohammed Hafiz. How would you characterize you've seen a lot of Pakistan teams

and you played against a lot of Pakistan teams? How would you characterize their spirit, where they're going? Do you think they've got a plan that's working for them? Yeah, I think in the two forms of the game that I've seen this summer, it definitely seems like they've got a

direction under Mizbar and Baburazam in the T20s he's definitely got a clear plan and where they want to go and want to play the game and as a rally in the test format you feel the same about them as well and they have got a huge amount of talent at the minute in their squad and I think it's really exciting to see that to see the young fast bowlers you know as you say 17 and 19 Nassim Shah and Shaheen Afridi to see them play and learn the way they're learning, they can only get better in the next few years. As long as they're looked after in the right way,

you don't want them to play all forms of game and get tired and get injuries and things like that. They've got to manage well through the next few years, but there's no reason why they can't go on to be a power in world cricket. James, thanks every so much for joining us. You've been superb. We'll have you back, weren't we? For the ODIs against Australia.

Yeah. which I imagine you are thoroughly looking forward to you. Absolutely looking forward to you. Thanks very much for joining us. We'll let you go. We will bring in Artif Nawaz to have a little look at Pakistan's tour generally how we think it went. Finally finishing with a victory, they came so close to it in the first test. Had it not been for that absolutely sensational partnership between Chris Wokes and Joss Butler,

you would imagine that Pakistan would have gone to win that first test. And then with the rain that was around, that would have been a victory in the test series 1-0. We've had a bit of rain blighting the first game here. Then the disappointment of missing out in the second match when they felt like they'd done enough with the bat to win it, it felt like it was going to be a tour of just nearly disappointment again, Artif. But ending with this win, is it just, oh, it's just a last T20, it doesn't really matter? Or is it, do you think, significant? It's massively significant.

I think if you take the results out of the equation, Pakistan had a very good tour. That first game could have gone either way. And obviously, they were outplayed for long chunks of one of the test matches. But generally, as you said, you know, they stood toe-to-to-toe with England all the way through. It was very, very competitive. A lot of sessions could have gone one way or the other,

and they were unlucky on a couple of occasions. And I think a 2-0 England win in the T-20s and a 1-0 win in the tests wouldn't have been an accurate. representation of how closely matched these two teams are. I think England are probably marginally ahead, and hence deserve the test victory overall, all things considered. But a 2-0 result here wouldn't have felt a fair representation of where these teams are

in the kind of scale of world cricket. So I think it will take the edge off a little bit, you know, very promising, great to see performances from, you know, senior players and with 39-year-old Muhammad the Fees, showing exactly why if you're fit and, you know, you can perform, you should be there and nobody should really talk about your age. and 19-year-old Heather Ali giving us reasons to look forward to the future

and you know there's plenty of bright spots there the young bowlers and the Seam Shah and Shaheen Shah are really picking up valuable experience and difficult conditions generally or alien conditions to them they wouldn't have played too much certainly no test cricket here in England and for the experienced batsmen to spend some time here batting

that is something that they'll carry with them around the world let's head out to Henry Moran who's got Mowin Ali with him Mowin it was very close just not quite there for England And what are your reflections on the game? We played okay. I mean, obviously, disappointing when you don't win, but it's a good game of cricket. It would have been nice to get over the line,

but these things happen. For you personally, how big was that innings today? It was good. It's more like a mindset shift, really. I try to just play like I play in my first few games for England and try and be full of energy and try and be busy at the crease. I feel like I've been lacking that lately over maybe a long period of time actually

so it was nice to get out there and play well today. So was this a conscious decision before today that I'm just going to go out there and enjoy myself? Yeah, definitely and just try and be busy every ball even in the field, trying to be busy throw them in, try and be that young, sort of enthusiastic kid

and I just tried to enjoy my cricket today and it just shows that when your mindset is good you can go out and perform. Memories of that innings at Bristol a few years ago with those three sixes in the over and it looked like Moenali is absolute best. Yeah, I mean, you're almost trying to fool yourself that you're playing well and you'll come and stuff,

but you've got to put the work in, I guess, and you kind of have those reminders that you can do it. It's just you lose that self-confidence, I guess, at times, and it's just building that backup. Did you have doubts that you could still do it? No, no, I mean, I know I could do it. It's just that I wasn't giving myself a chance to do it, really. And today I just try to be busy,

but not be a bit more risk-free early on, and then it just shows, that even if I'm 10 of 10, that I can go quick in my next 20 balls. We saw what you can do. We've also seen what Tom Banton can do in this series. How much of a talent is he? Yeah, he's a top player. I mean, anybody that plays for us is a top player. I think to get into this side, you have to be very good. And he's showing a lot of potential.

It is probably one of the hardest sides to get into. When everybody's back, it'll be interesting to see how it goes. But, yeah, I mean, he's a top player, and it's a great promise for us going forward and for our country. Knowing, well played today. We all enjoyed it huge. well pleasure thank you very much thank you Henry he sounded a little subdued there I thought Alex Hartley didn't you obviously talking about how he needed to

rediscover a bit of joie de vivre a bit of enjoyment in his game and also give himself the chance to get in and make the score but it sounded I'm not going to say flat I mean I suppose disappointed because they've just come off the back of a loss but yeah he didn't sound like he was full of energy did he and and him saying he just tried to enjoy it is something that I can really relate to because when you put too much pressure on yourself as a cricketer and you're saying, I just need to go out and enjoy it. It's really hard to do, but the way he went out there today

and played with freedom and said to himself, look, what will be will be, I'm just going to enjoy myself. I'm going to laugh, I'm going to smile, I'm playing cricket with my mates. Like he said, it's a hard team to get into, so he knows that himself. He has the confidence, and he was just waiting for that score, and today he's gone out and proved everybody who was talking about him wrong.

Well, indeed. I mean, Henry Brown talked at the very beginning of the show, didn't he? said there'll be a spotlight on mowing because he hasn't scored many runs in the last five games he's not scored he's not taken many wickets and what he did his first ball he bowled pakazamamam with one that skidded straight on and then he said a spectacular 66 and nearly taken his side to victory when when pakistan were well on top i mean i know i know you you can be occasionally critical of win viz but when it said 98% chance of pakistan victory it was still pakistan were well on top at that stage and he nearly i mean he got england to a point

when they would probably have thought they ought to have won it in a way with three overs to go, needing 30 odd. Yeah, no, the way we started to clear the boundary. We'll have to come back to you because Henry is with Muhammad Aviz. Mohamed, thanks for speaking of BBC test match special. A couple of player of the series and player of the match trophies in front of you. What a relief after a long tour to get a victory there. Yeah, definitely.

We were, as a team, we were looking for that because we played good cricket on the tour, but we were not finishing the games well. That's what we had a meeting earlier. Like, you know, it's not like we're playing badly, but we are not finishing the game well. So we were not winning the games. So in this match we are happy, like, you know, we executed our skills very well. In the batting, we really did that the total

we really wanted to put on a board and then our ball did a great job to defend that. Out there in the middle with Head at Ali and a lot of excitement, a lot of talk about him, how good a player can he be? Well, really pleased to see a youngster's coming up from a system and performing well in a first game, in a debut game, express himself with lots of confidence.

The second ball went for us six. went for a sixth so that's something pleasing as a senior player to see someone as a junior delivering for the team when it's needed 39 years old now they did lots of talk inevitably about what your future is what your role in the side is and you've delivered in this series how satisfying is that well to me it's a matter of pride I'm not playing for for any stats or any anything to just prove someone I'm playing for a pride and thank you very much to all my management to give me a go believed on my abilities and i'm really happy that you know in a series i delivered for the team i think everyone

in world cricket would say thank you to pakistan for for everything that you've you've been through to be here and the time spent in the bio bubble and everything how nice is it at the end of a tour to get a win well definitely we were looking for that and thankfully like everyone chipped in everyone give their 100 percent to finish the game well and finally we had a win our belt under our in the in the last two months we really worked hard as a team and really happy to finish on a high perfect thank you very much Mohammed Owen Morgan is just wandering past he's just got to go and get the trophy

so Owen will head over there for the time being we'll see if we can grab a word with him in due course but lovely to hear from Mohammed Hafiz and I think you can see from down here on the boundary edge of all the Pakistan players Daniel there's an awful lot of smiling faces and I think it has been a long few weeks for them so you can't begrudge them that victory

oh absolutely not and listening to Mohammed Hafiz here I mean you couldn't want to be a 39 year old and a better team at the moment because you've got Misberul Hack How old was miserable when he finally retired, Artif? 41. So he are, oh, hang on, we're going to go back to him. He's got Owen Morgan. He's prodigious.

Back to you, Henry. It was just a photograph, Daniel. We have Owen Morgan. End of a series, not a victory, but a lot of positives over the last few days. Yeah, I think a lot of positives. Obviously two days ago was a fantastic win for us. And I think today was probably the biggest positive of it today was a marked improvement from our bowlers to restrict Pakistan.

to the total that we did with a short boundary on one side and a fantastic batting wicket. We really have to commend our bowlers. They did a great job. With the bat,

there were still positives Tom Banton again at the top of the order contributing and Moen Alley and Sam Billings almost rebuilding and keeping us

in the game throughout the whole 20 overs which is fantastic. It's disappointing to lose but certainly learn more about every player given the pressure

situations that guys go in and the task ahead of them. There was lots of talk ahead of the series of this being a sort of learning opportunity for you and the England management with players missing from the test squad. What have you learnt and what have you learnt about individuals from the last few days? Yeah, a huge amount. I think the batting depth we have in white ball cricket up and down the country is absolutely phenomenal. It's going through a really strong line of young top order batsmen.

I think when you look at players that have contributed that aren't necessarily. Firstly, first names on the team sheet when everybody's back. Guys like David, Milan has continued to have this extraordinary international T20 career. Tom Banton's had his first contributions in a T20 shirt. Sam Billings continued to show a lot of promise. And Moen Alley taking on added responsibility at number five. So the batting line-up is showing a lot of strength and depth. I think the bowlers have a bit of a rough deal, really, coming into a T-20 series quite raw,

not having played a T20 game for a very, very long time. I think the badders are way ahead of where the bowlers are, but hopefully etching into the Australia series and beyond that, we can show improvements game on game. Michael Vaughn said that a few years ago, England, were looking for maybe six players that they knew could play T20 and then trying to fill the other slots, that now it was sort of 25 players and it's trying to whittle it down,

and that's a wonderful position to be in as a captain. I think it's great. I think pre-the-I-Series, where we had 24, 25 players down in Southampton for a pre-camp before the series. The standard of cricket down there was as good as I've seen. And I think English cricket is looking very strong

at the moment for white ball just given the exposure that guys have had and the warm-up games that we played. The standard was great. So we can't ask anything more of the guys that are playing county cricket. It's continued performances and almost wait for an opportunity

and when that opportunity arises, they need to grab it with both hands. On to the Australia series. Now, what are you expecting? Yeah, Australia have sent their best group of players over, so expecting a very tough series. We have a number of guys back as well, not at full strength, but close to. So we're expecting an extremely competitive, highly skilled series. Just finally, how excited are you by this England T20 side? Yeah, very excited.

I think the thing that excites me most is just the depth and strength in the batting department. and guys come in and almost aren't intimidated by the level of risks that they have to play. I think that makes it a lot easier in the transition from county to international cricket when guys feel comfortable enough in our changing room to come in and play the game that they do. And I think Tom Banton and Davin Malan is a good example of that. Both of them have come in and continue to show form that David did in the Middlesex in their Yorkshire shirt and Tom does in a Somerset shirt. Owen, thanks for your time, Sue and Southampton.

Thanks, Henry. Thank you. Thank you, Henry. Wasn't it noticeable how he mentioned there county cricket? People going and playing for their counties and performing well for their counties. So he's very clear, isn't he? Alex, that the county system is in part responsible for creating this group of whiteboard players because Vitality Blast of late has been a pretty dynamic tournament, hasn't it? Yeah, 100%.

And all you have to do is watch the T20 blast. and the talent that English cricket have is just unbelievable. We've got kids, it's almost kids scoring hundreds for fun, you know, 22, 23-year-old lads and, you know, we've just got so much talent on show and it's only exciting and, as Owen Morgan said, it's so, so important to perform at your county and then feel comfortable when you get given the opportunity at international level. It must, though, be quite difficult for some of these players

because, you know, let's be brutally frank. Josh Butler is going to walk back into any team in world cricket in T20, isn't he? You imagine Jason Roy would, really. Johnny Berstow at 3 is hard to axe. Owen Morgan is going to

play. Who does that leave? I mean, I know Stokes isn't available, so that does open up another slot, but we saw how well Mowin Alley performed, saw how well Tom Banton performed. I mean, today, Tom Banton, 46, from 31 balls. Moines Alley 61 from 33

Just looking at those riches How do you as a young player Keep motivated Because I mean you must know what it's like I mean performed well But then not axed But you're not playing the next game Because some sort of legendary megastar

Comes back into the side I think what you have to think As a young player And if you are performing Like not to just get ahead of yourself Because this England side is so strong, but opportunities will come. We've seen Owen Morgan. He's given opportunities to young lads. We've seen Sakeed Mahmood, Matt Parkinson, Tom Banton. They've all had

opportunities within the last year. So they are there, and like Owen Morgan said, these players do have to grasp it with two hands. Otherwise, you know, it's going to get passed on to the next person when it comes around. Let's go to run you quickly through the tale of today. Certainly the score, at any rate, Pakistan put into bat by England, made 190 for four, header rally on debut, hit 54 from 33 balls. his 50 and 28 balls hit a six off his second ball was extremely exciting to watch. Ahmed Afiz was again the man around whom the innings sort of coalesced I guess, but he went at quite a rate himself, 86 from 52 balls, four fours and six sixes.

Those are the stars of Pakistan's 190 for four. A couple of wickets for Chris Jordan, two for 29 in his four overs. Adil Rashid and Mouin Ali, it wasn't really a pitch for the spinners. You sort of think of old trafflers being quite conducive to spin. but spinners on both sides struggled today between them Rashid and Moines Alleyball five overs took one for 50

four overs I should say one for 50 so that gives you an idea and then in England's innings we've touched on it there the early loss of Johnny Bastoges are brilliant over from a Shane Shara freely to open up the inning set the tone bowling 90 mile per hour plus

and he got Bearstow with an absolute beauty of full Yorker-length ball we often talk about Johnny Bestow getting bold well there's no blame attached today because it went that searing pace clipped his off stump he went for a duck

Darren Maland could not repeat his feats of two days ago and when Owen Morgan was run out by Tom Banton England were in more than a spot of bother but Bantan and Morgan Bantan and Moines I should say got England's chase

back on track before I'm afraid a flurry of wicked Sam Billings came in batted with Boeing Alleyes and added 60 odd Murray makes 61 in the end Sam Billings 26 during that partnership it felt like England

were going to get back on top But there was another flurry of wickets and ultimately it was just a superb over, I would say, from Wahab Riyaz, but the ultimate over of the innings that won the game for Pakistan. Four overs, two for 26 from Wahab, four overs, two for 28 from Shahina Friede, the two left armours taking four for 54 in their eight overs. What a contrast with how the spinners got on. So in the end, Pakistan coming out winners by five runs. So it was a brief, it's a brief heart-in-mouth moment for Artif Nawaz,

who was on commentary to bring the game home. 12 needed off the last two balls. I'd never seen a more confident, Artif Noir. And then Tom Curran disposited the penalty ball for six. And there was a flicker of concern that came over you, Artif. No, not at all. You're a good liar. I'm all about the cricket.

And, you know, I actually, part of me really wanted to see a six off the last ball because there's nothing quite like it. It's a fitting tribute, really, to the great Pakistani players, like, you know, Javid, me and the other. famous sixes and made a reputation of it so i mean it was a really exciting finish and i think even bagistani fans around the world would really appreciate that chance that glimmer of chance and you know it's a very Pakistani way to lose a match as well to be honest with you when you think about it but yeah i mean they'll be overall they'll be thrilled to get that victory it takes

the edge off a very difficult summer you know people some people they like to they've they've kind of they decided that they were going to fixate on a narrative and that narrative was that you know this was a weak team with the wrong strategy, with the wrong mix, and too many players that don't have any future potential. There was a really negative vibe building in Pakistan amongst some of the major media journalists and some of the major broadcasters. And as we know, and we've discussed at length, even in the test series, like there's whole talk shows in Pakistan that run year-round that discuss cricket

and analyze it to minute detail. So this will give them a little bit of respite. Hopefully they'll have a few positive clips to show along. alongside their long-standing grudges over there in Pakistan. But, I mean, overall, these guys will feel a lot better because they're going to get on playing tomorrow and go home. And, you know, that flight will be a lot more comfortable with the win, with the memory of these little nice things.

I was thinking about Fakhra Zaman earlier, who didn't score anything today. He had a really nice knock in the second game in the T20 series, but he didn't score anything today, and he was done in by that quicker one from Moen Ali. But he took a superb catch in the deep. Crucial catch, absolutely, crucial catch. which kind of turned the game, that alongside the runout, where Wahabriyaz took the split second long and got the throw-in. So there's these little moments that they'll replay to themselves over and over again

when they sit down and their seats in the plane. And those are better, those are much sweeter when you've won the game and you haven't lost the series. So it could have been two series losses. It's one series loss, one series tied. A lot of asterisks is all over the place because of circumstance. Overall, they'll feel good about this. Alex Harley, T20 behind closed doors.

We watched the test series. I mean test matches are played in front of huge crowds in England but we do see test matches being played around the world in front of very small crowds, perhaps in the UAE or around the world generally so it's not quite so jarring and yet people are sceptical about the purpose of playing T20 behind closed doors because it's almost like it's entertainment and you've got to have the crowd to have the entertainment

but actually we've been served up two matches which have produced the better part of 8,000, runs that have both gone to the last over and we've seen the ball hit to all parts it's the entertainment's still been there hasn't it yeah i mean i will be mind blown if anyone watching that cricket has said i've not been entertained because that is t20 cricket that is what is about and you know credit to both teams they've come out and yes the crowd do get behind them when they're winning or they're losing but they've still put on a fantastic spectacle and it's been absolutely brilliant to watch

Thank you.