Pakistan 2-0 England – Test series player-by-player ratings

Barnaby Read 19:40 08/11/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Use #360fans to share your ratings.

    Following the conclusion of the Test series between Pakistan and England, Sport360 online journalist Barny Read rates every player who took to the UAE fields.

    Understandably, Pakistan players come out better than the tourists but you may be surprised by our man of the series.

    Use #360fans across social media to share your thoughts and own ratings.

    – #360USA: All Stars a huge success for USA cricket
    – PAKvENG: Both sides register warm-up ODI wins

    – VIDEO: Tendulkar says USA needs cricket heroes
    – FOLLOW: Live cricket scores from around the world

    PAKISTAN

    MOHAMMAD HAFEEZ – 8 (Runs: 380 Ave: 63.33)

    Hafeez was one of Pakistan’s most consistent performers, registering a big ton in the final Test and scoring two half centuries in his other two outings. While his partners struggled alongside him against England’s new ball bowlers, Hafeez combated them admirably and scored off spinners fluently.

    SHAN MASOOD – 4 (Runs: 58 Ave: 14.50)

    From the moment Masood was bowled off his helmet by James Anderson inside the first three overs of the series, things did not go well for the Pakistan opener. He was eventually dropped for the final Test due to his poor form up top where he struggled with the short ball in particular.

    AZHAR ALI – 5 (Runs: 34 Ave: 17.00)

    Ali’s series was cut short due to visa issues and only managed the single Test in Sharjah, where he got a duck in the first innings and made 34 in the second. His last outing came at a key point for Pakistan, but he can’t be judged too much on the series as a whole.

    SHOAIB MALIK – 7 (Runs: 292 Ave: 48.66/Wkt: 11 Ave: 20.72)

    Returning to the side for the first time in five years, Malik eventually retired after the fourth day’s play in the final Test having had an eventful series. Two Test bests with both bat and ball bookended a Dubai Test that was particularly average, but Malik’s performances of note were vital to his team.

    YOUNIS KHAN – 6 (Runs 302: Ave: 50.33)

    Younis (below alongside Misbah) consistently got starts in this series but will be disappointed to have only made the one century in Dubai as he failed to cash in on the other occasions. He was solid, if not remarkable; it was Younis in a nutshell, without the traditional weight of biggies.

    Misbah (r) and Younis were consistent.

    MISBAH UL-HAQ – 9 (Runs: 352 Ave: 58.66)

    A century and three fifties to show from six innings is not bad going at all from the Pakistan captain, who was described as “average” by Geoffrey Boycott. Another series win in which he led his side admirably, Misbah is anything but “average”.

    ASAD SHAFIQ – 9 (Runs: 326 Ave: 54.33)

    A man for a crisis, Shafiq steadied the ship at important times for his team and a century and two fifties meant he backed up his assuredness with runs. Had the Pakistan middle-order batted with such ease as Shafiq, they would have won this series at a canter.

    SARFRAZ AHMED – 6 (Runs: 139 Ave: 27.80/Cts: 9 St: 4)

    It was a disappointing three matches with the bat for Sarfraz who failed to showcase the aggression that has come to define his role in the team. Behind the sticks was another story, Shafiq pulling off some stunning catches and not missing a thing.

    WAHAB RIAZ (Wkt: 8 Ave: 43.37)

    Riaz was superb in Dubai and never gave anything less than his all, a trait so endearing to watch alongside his aggression and passion. He couldn’t, however, back up the wickets in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah in the same numbers as Dubai.

    Shah was in superb form.

    YASIR SHAH – 9 (Wkt: 15 Ave: 21.53)

    Two matches, two wins and 15 wickets from the world’s best spinner at this moment in time secured victory for his side in Dubai and Sharjah. Watching Shah (above) on song is an absolute treat and the control, variation and skill he showed were rewarded with the man of the series award.

    ZULFIQAR BABAR – 7 (Wkt: 9 Ave: 45.44)

    Babar will be slightly disappointed not to have come away from this series with a couple more wickets. He was, however, once again a superb foil for the likes of Riaz and Shah when they were going about playing a more aggressive role.

    RAHAT ALI – 5 (Wkt: 4 Ave: 39.25)

    Other than one spell at Joe Root in Sharjah, Rahat was pretty underwhelming. He was often a source of relief for England’s bowlers under greater pressure at the other end.

    IMRAN KHAN – 6 (Wkt: 6 Ave: 24.66)

    Imran gave a slightly better showing than Rahat but will still be frustrated not to have shone on pitches that did help seamers, albeit not as much as the slower bowlers. A highlight was a spell in Dubai where he looked absolutely unplayable.

    ENGLAND

    Cook has made a habit of scoring runs in the UAE.

    ALASTAIR COOK – 10 (Runs: 450 Ave: 90.00)

    For us, Cook was man of the series despite his team falling to a 2-0 series defeat. As ever Cook scored a huge number of runs, including his 263 in the first Test and proved attacking and inventive with his captaincy, something rarely ever said of Cook in the past.

    MOEEN ALI – 4 (Runs: 85 Ave: 14.00 Wkt: 9 Ave: 48.66)

    A series that Moeen will want to forget as his first trial as Test opener ended in disaster. He comes away as England’s second highest wicket-taker but rarely looked enough of a threat to inspire his team to victory.

    IAN BELL – 4 (Runs: 158 Ave: 31.60)

    Bell is another man who will not look to fondly back on this series, although he did finally provide some sign of form with the bat with stubborn resistance in Dubai and Sharjah. He looked utterly out of sorts, though, a shell of the player who is one of England’s most elegant batsmen. Bell will be worried about what the future holds.

    JOE ROOT – 7 (Runs: 287 Ave: 57.40)

    The series started so well for Root who proved his class in consecutive fifties that followed his 85 and 33* in the first Test. Sharjah was a disappointment and his inability to convert three scores above 70 into centuries will need to improve if he is to remain the world’s number one Test batsman.

    JAMES TAYLOR – 5 (Runs: 78 Ave: 39.00)

    He would have a higher rating had he played more Tests but somehow Taylor (below) was restricted to just the one in Sharjah. He scored 76 in that first innings where he looked every bit the Test player and will be confident of securing his place for some time to come.

    Taylor returned to the side in Sharjah.

    BEN STOKES – 4 (Runs: 88 Ave: 14.66 Wkt: 5 Ave: 39.60)

    Stokes’ participation will be remembered for his valiant two innings after injuring his shoulder in Sharjah but the lasting memory from the previous two Tests were his failures with both bat and ball. He looked absolutely out of form with the bat and couldn’t replicate the efforts of Anderson and Broad with the ball.

    JONNY BAIRSTOW – 4 (Runs: 134 Ave: 22.33 Cts: 3 St: 0)

    No runs of note for Bairstow in three Tests where he was found completely baffled by Pakistan’s spinners, Shah in particular. He couldn’t pick a googly from opposition or team-mate and looked out of his depth in these conditions.

    JOS BUTTLER – 3 (Runs: 34 Ave: 8.50 Cts: 5 St: 0)

    Two Tests with just 34 cumulative runs saw Buttler’s Test tour ended early with a series to go and his confidence would have taken a battering. He will surely return in the future but this was an awful outing from the Lancashire ‘keeper-batsman.

    SAMIT PATEL – 5 (Runs: 42 Ave: 21.00 Wkt: 3 Ave: 54.00)

    A single Test for Patel came in the finale where his first innings efforts with the bat showed encouraging signs. However, he could not spin England to victory and didn’t do anything out of the ordinary to inspire selectors to upgrade him from a bit-part player.

    Rashid could not build o nearly success.

    ADIL RASHID – 5 (Wkt: 8 Ave: 69.50)

    Such high hopes were held of Rashid coming into this series and a debut five-for in Abu Dhabi showed real promise. After that, however, Pakistan had a field day against England’s leg-spinner, who found more joy with the bat and will need time if he is to become a real Test threat.

    STUART BROAD – 7 (Wkt: 7 Ave: 27.28)

    Broad was at times unplayable and built the pressure that Anderson needed to make light work of Pakistan in the first innings of the third Test. Had he been more potent in the wicket-taking department then he would have had more of a say in England’s efforts to avoid defeat.

    JAMES ANDERSON – 9 (Wkt: 13 Ave: 15.61)

    It was another series in the UAE where Anderson excelled, a place where unlike most seamers that play here he has found real success. England will hope that Anderson remains in this form for years to come as replacing him will be a nigh on impossible task.

    MARK WOOD – 7 (Wkt: 6 Ave: 28.33)

    Wood bowled with real skill in his two Tests before being rested in Sharjah and found far more joy in supporting Anderson and Broad than fellow seamer Stokes. His reverse swing, aggression and pace on these pitches was commendable and England were right to rest him due to long-standing injury concerns – even if they could have done with him for the final Test.

    Recommended