**Official** Pakistan tour of England 2026

[Chin Music]

The whole Imam thing seems utterly bizarre. Did he just suddenly decide he didn't fancy batting in this Test? I believe there's some previous too where he tried something similar in NZ (rumours of him using ink to make it look like a severely bruised toe after he'd been hit on the foot). Surely someone like this should never play Test Cricket again.

On my cricket club's main WhatsApp thread, one of the guys linked to a post on some social media network calling Imad a fat hippopotamus. Despite some of the lads going on about fat shaming I simply said that given his uncle was known as fat potato/mota aloo, it was only keeping it in the family! We have some players of Pakistani origin at our club and they are never backward in coming forward over the shenanigans over the Pakistani cricket team.

 

[Ali TT]

The whole Imam thing seems utterly bizarre. Did he just suddenly decide he didn't fancy batting in this Test? I believe there's some previous too where he tried something similar in NZ (rumours of him using ink to make it look like a severely bruised toe after he'd been hit on the foot). Surely someone like this should never play Test Cricket again.

What are the odds of this happening twice I wonder

 

[ataraxia]

The whole Imam thing seems utterly bizarre. Did he just suddenly decide he didn't fancy batting in this Test? I believe there's some previous too where he tried something similar in NZ (rumours of him using ink to make it look like a severely bruised toe after he'd been hit on the foot). Surely someone like this should never play Test Cricket again.

Surely the real question is why it is his decision and not the management staff's?

 

[Test fan]

According to Pakistan Media's PCB is likely to ban Imam-ul-Haq for 1–2 years

This is possible only if the Imam is found guilty of faking injury.

 

[Molehill]

According to Pakistan Media's PCB is likely to ban Imam-ul-Haq for 1–2 years

This is possible only if the Imam is found guilty of faking injury.

I don't care if he's faking it or not, it was the complete reluctance to make any effort to bat and help his team out. We've seen countless cricketers with far worse injuries than that come out to bat. What would've happened if Shakeel was stuck on 99 not out when the 9th wicket went down? Would that **** have stayed in the dressing room? In fact, you can argue that it was his decision not to bat that forced Shakeel into playing one shot with the tail too many and missing out on the Lord's Honours Board.

 

[Test fan]

Nil Gade (@Gade1603) on X

Dear @StuartBroad8 Sir !! Just look at this guy Imam Ul Haq. he just forgot the script of injury when he reached at home Pakistan. He has forgot that he is injured & required wheel chair.😂🤣😝 @CallMeSheri1_ @davidwarner31 @SkyCricket @nassercricket

x.com

I don't care if he's faking it or not, it was the complete reluctance to make any effort to bat and help his team out. We've seen countless cricketers with far worse injuries than that come out to bat. What would've happened if Shakeel was stuck on 99 not out when the 9th wicket went down? Would that **** have stayed in the dressing room? In fact, you can argue that it was his decision not to bat that forced Shakeel into playing one shot with the tail too many and missing out on the Lord's Honours Board.

Check out this clip from the airport, he looks absolutely fit.

 

[Starfighter]

Broad was pretty excoriating of him at one of the breaks during the test. Not saying that he was definitely faking it, but that either way his bit of batting 'practice' was obviously a putting on a dog-and-pony show.

 

[honestbharani]

The real issue is also the fact that this was an injury he picked up in the last test and he still went ahead and played this one and apparently, after not doing anything particular during the fielding, except jogging at the end of each over to the other end, he seems to have aggravated it then.

Even if he is not faking it, he should be banned purely on fitness grounds as it cost his team a player in an important game ultimately.

 

[Starfighter]

A few seem to be picked on PSL hype.

Digging into the bowlers they've picked a bit more, seems more like they were drawing out of a hat.

Imran Randhawa has a bad record with both bat and ball across 58 matches, and looks very ordinary. In the PSL he took three wickets and scored 42 runs. Imran hasn't played PSL since 2022, and also looks of less than threatening pace. I suppose the difference between them and say, Mir Hamza and Faheem Ashraf is that the latter two are known quantities in internationals. Razaullah is faster but very inexperienced, not clear if he can sustain his pace and was very expensive in the PSL. He's years off being ready.

Thing is there's other names around. Musa Khan was picked when he wasn't ready and got belted. Now he's taking wickets at a good average (albeit on what look like green pitches at a high economy) he's completely off the radar (because no PSL team?). Shahnawaz Dahani can't get a look in either despite being of interest before and having some pace. Of course they were too stubborn to recall Naseem.

It's not obvious who they'll pick. It'd be unfair for Ubaid to be passed over even though he should never have been in the squad to start. Ali took wickets at Lords, though I think he looks like a 90s county trundler and will never be test class.

Looking at some QeA trophy footage, the technique and shot selection of Pakistani FC batsmen looks awful. Pakistani batsmen historically rarely had tight techniques, because often the pitches were flat, but some of this stuff would shame a 2nd grade side.

 

[mackembhoy]

Didn't realise the third game wasn't until next Wednesday.

How stupid having a long break after series already done

Dead rubber for the game where Pakistan will have more of the support at the ground.

Barely watched this series as been away/at other events for both games.

 

[Molehill]

The real issue is also the fact that this was an injury he picked up in the last test and he still went ahead and played this one and apparently, after not doing anything particular during the fielding, except jogging at the end of each over to the other end, he seems to have aggravated it then.

Even if he is not faking it, he should be banned purely on fitness grounds as it cost his team a player in an important game ultimately.

Even if you've got a bit of a limp, you can still take a load of painkillers and try and help your team out. It's what pretty much every other pro cricketer would do, why not this ****?

 

[govinda indian fan]

Digging into the bowlers they've picked a bit more, seems more like they were drawing out of a hat.

Imran Randhawa has a bad record with both bat and ball across 58 matches, and looks very ordinary. In the PSL he took three wickets and scored 42 runs. Imran hasn't played PSL since 2022, and also looks of less than threatening pace. I suppose the difference between them and say, Mir Hamza and Faheem Ashraf is that the latter two are known quantities in internationals. Razaullah is faster but very inexperienced, not clear if he can sustain his pace and was very expensive in the PSL. He's years off being ready.

Thing is there's other names around. Musa Khan was picked when he wasn't ready and got belted. Now he's taking wickets at a good average (albeit on what look like green pitches at a high economy) he's completely off the radar (because no PSL team?). Shahnawaz Dahani can't get a look in either despite being of interest before and having some pace. Of course they were too stubborn to recall Naseem.

It's not obvious who they'll pick. It'd be unfair for Ubaid to be passed over even though he should never have been in the squad to start. Ali took wickets at Lords, though I think he looks like a 90s county trundler and will never be test class.

Looking at some QeA trophy footage, the technique and shot selection of Pakistani FC batsmen looks awful. Pakistani batsmen historically rarely had tight techniques, because often the pitches were flat, but some of this stuff would shame a 2nd grade side.

They are giving separate contracts for red ball and white ball so no shaheen & naseem but again white ball regulars saim ayub and Arfat minhas have been selected

 

[On drive]

Agha has gone from captaining the first test to sitting out in the second and being sent home for the third. Only PCT could do something like this.

 

[honestbharani]

Agha has gone from captaining the first test to sitting out in the second and being sent home for the third. Only PCT could do something like this.

Took the catch of the series too, for good measure.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

The whole Imam thing seems utterly bizarre. Did he just suddenly decide he didn't fancy batting in this Test? I believe there's some previous too where he tried something similar in NZ (rumours of him using ink to make it look like a severely bruised toe after he'd been hit on the foot). Surely someone like this should never play Test Cricket again.

Didn’t he pick up the injury in the first Test? Regardless of whether he could have soldiered on, it rather begs the question, why he was picked in the first place?

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Digging into the bowlers they've picked a bit more, seems more like they were drawing out of a hat.

Imran Randhawa has a bad record with both bat and ball across 58 matches, and looks very ordinary. In the PSL he took three wickets and scored 42 runs. Imran hasn't played PSL since 2022, and also looks of less than threatening pace. I suppose the difference between them and say, Mir Hamza and Faheem Ashraf is that the latter two are known quantities in internationals. Razaullah is faster but very inexperienced, not clear if he can sustain his pace and was very expensive in the PSL. He's years off being ready.

Thing is there's other names around. Musa Khan was picked when he wasn't ready and got belted. Now he's taking wickets at a good average (albeit on what look like green pitches at a high economy) he's completely off the radar (because no PSL team?). Shahnawaz Dahani can't get a look in either despite being of interest before and having some pace. Of course they were too stubborn to recall Naseem.

It's not obvious who they'll pick. It'd be unfair for Ubaid to be passed over even though he should never have been in the squad to start. Ali took wickets at Lords, though I think he looks like a 90s county trundler and will never be test class.

Looking at some QeA trophy footage, the technique and shot selection of Pakistani FC batsmen looks awful. Pakistani batsmen historically rarely had tight techniques, because often the pitches were flat, but some of this stuff would shame a 2nd grade side.

If this were a semi-competent board, you’d think the players coming in would be coming in to play, because what’s the point of dragging these players halfway across the world to sit on the bench (especially as some players are being pulled from their franchise gigs), and that they’d be players good enough to do a job, but this is Pakistan so **** knows who they’re going to pick

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Anyway, amidst the utter clown show that is Pakistan cricket, it’s easy to forget English cricket has its clowns too, Brydon Carse remains out of the squad pending the investigation into the Derby nightclub incident, apart from the exclusion of Fisher, England remain unchanged

 

[Molehill]

Anyway, amidst the utter clown show that is Pakistan cricket, it’s easy to forget English cricket has its clowns too, Brydon Carse remains out of the squad pending the investigation into the Derby nightclub incident, apart from the exclusion of Fisher, England remain unchanged

There's talk that England may well rest the likes of Archer, Tongue and Atkinson and save them for the upcoming white ball games with Sri Lanka. I really hope they don't, and I suspect the bowlers wouldn't either. Win the Test, make it 3-0, make a statement.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

There's talk that England may well rest the likes of Archer, Tongue and Atkinson and save them for the upcoming white ball games with Sri Lanka. I really hope they don't, and I suspect the bowlers wouldn't either. Win the Test, make it 3-0, make a statement.

Robinson definitely should play, I think as well as he's bowled this summer, there is still a question mark over whether he can sustain his form over a long innings (Pakistan might not be good enough to test this out, but still). I wouldn't mind seeing us seeing us test out Baker and Cook (Baker's debut was overshadowed by the chaos that went before it, coming into a more settled team might help him), the series is won and unlike 2 years ago against Sri Lanka when we inexplicably gave Josh Hull a Test debut, we are basically out of contention for the WTC final

 

[Ali TT]

Even if you've got a bit of a limp, you can still take a load of painkillers and try and help your team out. It's what pretty much every other pro cricketer would do, why not this ****?

The contrast with this guy is pretty stark

But perhaps unfair to compare Imam with a man who, when we are but dust, will still be remembered alongside Hercules, King Arthur and Rama