RAWALPINDI : Young sensation Arafat Minhas produced a dream all-round performance to lead Pakistan to a commanding 87-run victory over England in their ODI tri-series opener at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Minhas rescued Pakistan’s innings with a maiden ODI half-century before dismantling England’s batting unit with a sensational six-wicket haul.
Middle-Order Revival Lifts Pakistan to 302
Batting first, Pakistan endured a shaky start after losing opening batter Fakhar Zaman for a golden duck. Despite a quick burst of boundaries from Babar Azam (34), top-order stumbles left the hosts reeling at 81/4, with Saim Ayub (8) and last match’s centurion Salman Ali Agha (16) back in the pavilion.
The turnaround began when Hasan Nawaz launched a counter-offensive, smashing 79 off 74 balls (featuring 5 fours and 4 sixes). Nawaz anchored crucial recovery partnerships alongside Saad Baig (35) and Arafat Minhas. Following Nawaz’s departure to Jamie Overton, Minhas accelerated alongside Faheem Ashraf (39 off 26).
Minhas posted his maiden ODI fifty—scoring 59 off 58 balls—before late strikes from Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf pushed Pakistan’s total to a strong 302/9 in 50 overs. For England, paceman Sonny Baker was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/65.
England Collapse Against Minhas’ Spinning Web
Chasing 303 for victory, England made an explosive start. Openers Tom Banton (57 off 53) and Ben Duckett (45 off 46) launched an assault during the powerplay, pushing England past 80 in just 12 overs. Haris Rauf made the initial breakthrough by removing Duckett, setting the stage for Minhas’ game-changing spell.
Minhas broke the dangerous opening stand by dismissing Banton before bowling Harry Brook shortly after. A rebuilding effort from Joe Root (33) and Sam Curran (27) kept England in contention, but Naseem Shah broke through Root’s defenses to shift momentum back to Pakistan. Minhas then tore through England’s lower order, taking the final wickets to finish with career-best bowling figures of 6/40 in 8.4 overs. England collapsed from a comfortable position, losing their final 5 wickets for just 38 runs to be bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs.
Brief Match Scores
Pakistan302/9 (50.0 Overs)Hasan Nawaz 79 (74), Arafat Minhas 59 (58)Sonny Baker 3/65 (9.0), Gus Atkinson 2/35 (7.0)
England215 all out (38.4 Overs)Tom Banton 57 (53), Ben Duckett 45 (46)Arafat Minhas 6/40 (8.4), Haris Rauf 2/32 (6.0)
Result: Pakistan won by 87 runs
Player of the Match: Arafat Minhas
