‘Blown away and hammered’: Ex-England captain says Pakistan lack ‘spirit’
Michael Vaughan expressed serious concern over Pakistan's recent Test performance. England secured a comprehensive innings victory in the opening match. Pakistan's batting collapsed twice, showing a lack of confidence. Vaughan noted tactical shortcomings and a skill gap between the teams. The defeat marked a new era for England under captain Root.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has voiced serious concerns over Pakistan's Test cricket team after their devastating loss to England at Headingley. Vaughan remarked that he had seldom witnessed the team exhibit such a lack of confidence and fight. England completed a convincing victory in the first Test, winning by 103 runs and taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Pakistan managed only 171 in their first innings and were bowled out for 135 in the second, taking just 85.4 overs to be out. Vaughan expressed his dismay at the manner of Pakistan's collapse, saying they had been "blown away" and "hammered," adding that he had never seen them look so timid. The former England skipper also critiqued Pakistan's tactics and the quality difference between the two teams, stating that Pakistan was far behind in terms of skills and class.
Vaughan hopes Pakistan can recover over the next couple of days, warning that harsh criticism may force them to improve. England's dominance in the match was primarily due to their disciplined pace attack and strong batting effort. Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue took five wickets each in Pakistan's first innings, while Jofra Archer claimed an early wicket in the second innings before Robinson and Tongue finished with eight wickets each in the match.
Both players were named Player of the Match after scoring 8/80 and 8/89, respectively. Robinson and Tongue claimed eight wickets in the match. England's batters put the hosts in a commanding position with a total of 409, securing a 238-run lead. Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Joe Root and Dan Lawrence contributed significantly to the score.
Vaughan was particularly disappointed by Pakistan's lack of spirit and fight, which he feels is a characteristic tradition of their cricket. The defeat also marked the start of a new era for England with Root returning as captain following Ben Stokes' and Brendon McCullum's departure as Test coach. Pakistan now has several days to regroup before the second Test at Lord's, which begins on Thursday.
England, on the other hand, will build on their momentum in the next match as they aim to extend their series advantage.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
