Captain Eoin Morgan praised rookie paceman Reece Topley but said England needed to take a serious look at their batting after they were thumped by Pakistan to go 1-0 down in the four-match one-day international series in the UAE.
After England struggled to 216 all out, Pakistan romped to a convincing, six-wicket win in Abu Dhabi in what proved a rousing farewell to Younis Khan, who was playing his last ODI.
Paceman Mohammad Irfan rocked England with a wicket off the second ball of the game before finishing with 3-35 in his 10 overs.
Morgan said the batting had let England down after the captain (76) and James Taylor (60) lifted the tourists from 14-3 to 147 before they lost four wickets in the space of 32 balls.
“We were looking at a minimum of 250 but getting there obviously wasn’t easy on this type of wicket. We have to reassess that quickly,” Morgan said.
“Probably after 20 overs, the ball started to hold up and grip more than it did in the previous few overs.”
[Analysis: What to take away from Pakistan's win over England: Enjoy Mohammad Irfan while he lasts]
[Osman Samiuddin: Often stifled, success came with a move up the order: A look at Younis Khan's ODI career]
Pakistan also wobbled at 41-3 before Mohammad Hafeez hit a brilliant, match-winning 102 not out to help his team overhaul the target in 43.4 overs.
“I think probably the big positive was having Pakistan at the same position at the halfway mark, and credit to the bowlers to get us in that position,” said Morgan, praising Topley who grabbed 3-26 in his second ODI.
“He is a big asset for long-term. He is certainly somebody that we are looking at to nurture, particularly with his white-ball skills and he is very good for a 21-year-old,” said Morgan.
Hafeez said Pakistan wanted to win the match for veteran batsman Younis, who retired from one-day cricket after the game.
“We were pumped up for Younis and although it was a shock for us to know that he was retiring but we want to give him the gift of a win and everyone chipped in,” said Hafeez.
Younis finished his ODI career with 7,249 runs in 265 matches.
Hafeez, who also hit 151 in the third Test in Sharjah as Pakistan clinched a 2-0 Test series win, said he was happy to stay in the runs.
“I am happy that I am contributing in Pakistan’s wins and everything is going well for me,” Hafeez said.
The remaining matches will be played in Sharjah (November 17) and Dubai (November 20), ahead of a three-match Twenty20 series.
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Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
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Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Toss: Rajputs, elected to field first
Sindhis 94-6 (10 ov)
Watson 42; Munaf 3-20
Rajputs 96-0 (4 ov)
Shahzad 74 not out
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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
MEDIEVIL (1998)
Developer: SCE Studio Cambridge
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation, PlayStation 4 and 5
Rating: 3.5/5
FROM THE ASHES
Director: Khalid Fahad
Starring: Shaima Al Tayeb, Wafa Muhamad, Hamss Bandar
Rating: 3/5
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