Mohammad Abbas Raises Alarm Over Pakistan’s Form After England Series Defeat
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — WEB DESK: Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas has voiced concern over the national team’s overall form after England secured an unassailable 2-0 Test series lead at Lord’s, saying problems across batting, bowling and fielding are putting the side under pressure.
Abbas was one of Pakistan’s few standout performers in the second Test, taking nine wickets in the match, but his efforts could not prevent England from recording a comprehensive 194-run victory on Sunday.
Speaking after the match, the experienced seamer acknowledged that Pakistan’s collective performance had become a source of concern.
He said the team had not been meeting expectations consistently in all three departments — batting, bowling and fielding — and that players and management were continuing to discuss how to address the problems.
Abbas Points to Dropped Catches
Abbas highlighted Pakistan’s fielding as one of the areas that hurt the visitors at Lord’s.
He argued that had Pakistan converted important catching opportunities, England could have been dismissed for lower totals, potentially changing the course of the Test.
His comments reflect a broader concern rather than an attempt to blame the defeat solely on fielding.
Pakistan also struggled badly with the bat.
After England made 290 in their first innings, Pakistan were dismissed for just 110, giving the hosts a commanding advantage. England then made 208 in their second innings and set Pakistan a target of 389.
Pakistan were bowled out for 194 in the chase.
Saud Shakeel’s 97 Not Enough
Saud Shakeel provided Pakistan’s strongest resistance in the second innings with a fighting 97 from 122 deliveries, including 13 fours and two sixes.
Pakistan had collapsed to 14-3 before Shakeel and captain Shan Masood put together a 97-run fourth-wicket partnership. Masood made 26, but once England broke that stand, Pakistan were unable to build another match-saving partnership.
Shakeel fell three runs short of his fifth Test century after attempting a pull against Josh Tongue, with Harry Brook taking the catch in the deep.
England eventually dismissed Pakistan for 194 to win by exactly the same margin.
Abbas Takes Nine Wickets at Lord’s
While Pakistan’s batting came under scrutiny, Abbas delivered an outstanding individual performance.
The seamer claimed 4-73 in England’s first innings before taking 5-57 in the second, finishing the match with nine wickets.
His second-innings five-wicket haul also earned him a place on the prestigious Lord’s honours board.
The PCB said Abbas became the seventh Pakistan bowler to have his name added to the Lord’s honours board, while the five-for was the eighth of his Test career.
Express reported that Abbas has now taken 17 wickets across four innings at Lord’s, highlighting his exceptional record at the historic ground.
He has also claimed 28 wickets in his last six Tests, according to the Express report.
Despite those numbers, Abbas stressed that individual achievements carry less significance when the team is losing.
Robinson Dominates Pakistan Again
England seamer Ollie Robinson was named player of the match after another destructive performance against Pakistan’s batting lineup.
Robinson took 4-11 in the first innings and 4-24 in the second, giving him match figures of 8-35. He has now collected 16 wickets in the first two Tests of the series.
Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue also played important roles as England maintained relentless pressure on Pakistan’s batters.
Pakistan have now been dismissed for 171, 136, 110 and 194 in their four innings across the first two Tests, illustrating the scale of their batting problems. The 194 at Lord’s is their highest total of the series so far.
England Seal Series 2-0
The Lord’s defeat confirmed the series result with one Test still to play.
England won the opening Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs before following it with the 194-run victory at Lord’s.
The result gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and secured their first home Test series victory in two years.
Pakistan therefore cannot level the series.
Their remaining objective is to win the final Test and avoid a 3-0 whitewash.
Pakistan’s Overseas Test Record Under Pressure
The defeat also continued a difficult run for Pakistan away from home.
Current reporting indicates Pakistan have now lost nine of their last 10 overseas Tests, adding to concerns about their ability to compete consistently in foreign conditions.
Pakistan’s overall Test record has also reached an unwanted milestone, with the number of defeats exceeding victories for the first time in nearly four decades following the Lord’s result.
Those statistics provide context for Abbas’s concern about the team’s overall direction.
Abbas Backs Young Fast Bowlers
Despite Pakistan’s difficulties, Abbas also urged patience with younger fast bowlers.
He said emerging pacers need experience in Test cricket and indicated that the team continues to work on improving its performances.
For Pakistan, however, the immediate challenge is not limited to the bowling attack.
The figures from the opening two Tests show that batting remains a major weakness, while Abbas himself has identified fielding and missed opportunities as additional areas requiring improvement.
Edgbaston Offers Final Chance
Pakistan will have time to regroup before the third and final Test begins at Edgbaston in Birmingham on September 9.
The PCB is also considering changes following the heavy Lord’s defeat, with separate Pakistani media reports indicating potential personnel adjustments before the final Test.
Whatever changes are made, Pakistan’s task is straightforward: England have already won the series, leaving the visitors to play for a consolation victory, World Test Championship points and the chance to avoid a clean sweep.
Abbas’s nine-wicket performance showed Pakistan can still produce high-quality individual displays. His post-match comments, however, underline the larger problem — those individual performances have not yet translated into competitive team results.
