Pakistan crumble at Old Trafford

It was gutless, totally.

It also proved that Pakistan are not as good against slow bowling as people think.

How can you say that?

Vinoo Mankad set the pattern in Pakistan’s first Test; taking 13 wickets against them at Delhi in an innings win. Ray Bright’s 10 wickets at Karachi in 1979-80 gave Pakistan a scare in a seven-wicket win, and he ended with 15 of the 24 wickets that Australia took. Derek Underwood, left-arm and slow, ran amok at Lord‘s in 1974, accounting for eight Pakistani batsmen in the second innings (and 13 all told). Phil Edmonds’s 7-66 at Karachi in 1977-78 echoed years later in 1983-84 when Nick Cook’s 11 almost led England to a miraculous win. So nobody was surprised that Ashley Giles picked up seven wickets in the celebrated dusk game at Karachi in 2000-01, to go with his haul of 17 in England’s series win.

And don’t forget that but for a dodgy decision or two and some terrible fielding mishaps, Mohammed Rafique may well have led Bangladesh to a Test win against Pakistan at Multan in 2003.