Relying on an extraordinary all-around performance by Arafat Minhas—who struck his maiden fifty with the bat and claimed a career-best 6 wickets with the ball—Pakistan comprehensively defeated England on home soil. In the second match of the tri-nation series, the hosts triumphed over the English side by 87 runs, marking their second consecutive victory.
Asked to bat first at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan posted 302 for 9. The hosts were struggling at 133 for 5 before Hasan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas staged a vital fightback. Nawaz's blistering 79 off 74 balls and Minhas's aggressive 59 off 58 deliveries laid the foundation for a competitive total. The pair added 78 runs for the sixth wicket. Minhas then teamed up with Faheem Ashraf (39) to add another 72 runs for the seventh wicket, helping the hosts amass 91 runs in the final ten overs as they capitalized fully on sloppy fielding and three dropped catches by England.
For England, Gus Atkinson dismissed opener Fakhar Zaman with the very first ball of the match, while Sonny Baker removed Saim Ayub (8). Babar Azam (34) and Saad Baig (35) attempted to stabilize the innings in the middle overs. Ultimately, Baker finished with 3 wickets for 65 runs, and Atkinson claimed 2 for 35.
Chasing a target of 303, the visitors made a strong start. Tom Banton's 57 off 53 balls and Ben Duckett's 45 propelled the touring side to 120 for 1. However, Arafat Minhas's magical spin then unraveled the innings. Routed by the left-arm spinner, England lost their remaining nine wickets for just 95 runs, getting bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs.
