Pakistan crushes England by 79 runs in WCL 2024

Pakistan triumphed over England by 79 runs in the tenth match of the World Championship of Legends 2024 at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.

The victory marks Pakistan's fourth consecutive win, maintaining their unbeaten streak after previous victories against Australia, West Indies, and India.

Pakistan's bowling attack started strong with an early dismissal of England's captain Kevin Pietersen, who scored just 4 runs. Phil Mustard provided some resistance, keeping England in the game for a while.

However, Ian Bell was run out for 11 by Yasir Arafat, and Mustard, after scoring 34, was dismissed as he attempted to accelerate the run rate. Kevin O'Brien was bowled out by Shoaib Malik for 24.

England's batting lineup struggled overall, with wickets falling at regular intervals, leading to their total of 117 all out. Saeed Ajmal claimed three wickets, Abdul Razzaq took two, and Shoaib Malik, Sohail Khan, and Aamer Yamin each took one wicket.

Earlier in the match, Pakistan posted a formidable 196/4 after being put to bat first. They lost openers Kamran Akmal (11) and Sharjeel Khan (13) early on, but a significant 121-run partnership between Sohaib Maqsood and Shoaib Malik set the stage for a high total. Maqsood scored 64 off 44 balls, while Malik contributed 51 off 33 balls. Captain Misbah-ul-Haq, leading the team in place of Younis Khan, added an unbeaten 23 off 14 balls, and Abdul Razzaq finished strong with 20* off 9 balls.

England's Stuart Meaker was the standout bowler for his team, finishing with figures of 2/25.

The top four teams will advance to the semi-finals. Pakistan leads the points table with 8 points, followed by Australia and India, each with 4 points. England currently sits in fourth place with 2 points.