Left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal became first Pakistani player to headline the Women’s T20I rankings as she briefly overtook England’s left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday.

However, it didn’t last long as Ecclestone recaptured her No.1 ranking slot in the weekly update carried out on Tuesdays, ICC said in a press release.

Ecclestone had started the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the top spot — which she had occupied since February 2020. Sadia drew level with her on 757 rating points after taking three for 17 against Sri Lanka in a Group A match on Thursday.

The England spinner slipped to second spot with 750 points two days later after going wicketless against Bangladesh in a Group B match.

Sadia’s reign at the top was, however, limited to two days as Ecclestone grabbed two for 15 against South Africa to win the Player of the Match award and regain the top spot, ending the interesting neck-and-neck battle between the two left-arm spinners for the week.

Sadia became only the second Pakistani player to top the women’s rankings. Former captain Sana Mir was top of the ODI bowling rankings in 2018-2019.

There were other notable movements too after the England-South Africa match as South Africa openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits both attained career-best-equalling rankings after moving up two spots each.

Captain Wolvaardt reached third position after scores of 52 not out against the West Indies and 42 versus England, and Brits reached sixth position with scores of 57 not out against the West Indies and 13 against England.    

Multan: On the second day of the Multan Test, Pakistan is batting against England and the national team has scored 346 runs for the loss of four wickets.

The first match of the series consisting of three Test matches between Pakistan and England teams is being played in Multan, where the batting of the national team continues on the second day of the game.

Saud Shakeel and Naseem Shah started their incomplete innings for Pakistan on the second day.

Match Day 1

National team captain Shan Masood won the toss and decided to bat first himself and despite Saim Ayub returning to the pavilion for just four runs, Abdullah Shafiq and Shan Masood showed responsible batting.

Abdullah Shafiq and Shan Masood made an important partnership of 253 runs, during which both the batsmen also completed their centuries. Shaan scored 151 runs and Abdullah returned to the pavilion after scoring 102 runs.

Former captain Babar Azam failed to regain his lost form even on a good batting wicket, and returned to the pavilion with 30 runs moments before the end of the first day.

For England, Gus Atkinson took two wickets, Chris Woakes and Jack Leach took one wicket each.

Pakistan Playing XI

Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub Abdullah Shafiq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Muhammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Shah, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed.

England Playing XI

Ollie Pope (c), Zac Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brayden Carrs, Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir.

Saud Shakeel and Naseem Shah continued their partnership as Pakistan resumed the innings on second day of the first Test against England at Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. 

The national side had suffered an early blow with opener Saim Ayub getting caught behind against Gus Atkinson at just four runs after winning the toss and electing to bat first on the first day. 

However, Masood and opener Abdullah Shafique’s 114-run stand steered the national side to 122-1 at lunch.

The match ended at 328/4 with Shakeel scoring 35 and Shah at 0 on the crease.

The match, first in the three-match series, is being played at the Multan Cricket Stadium and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

During the match on Monday, Masood was given a lbw after a delivery by Brydon Carse in the debutant seamer’s second over, but the batter reviewed the decision and got it overturned after replays confirmed the ball had pitched outside the leg stump.

Masood went on to take two runs off Atkinson to race to a 43-ball fifty.

Shafique got a reprieve on 35 when he went for a risky single and England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope’s direct throw narrowly missed the stumps.

Despite missing the stumps, the stand-in captain didn’t give up and dismissed Shafique at 59.5 over, after the player scored 102 runs of 184 balls, with 10 boundaries and two towering sixes.

However, players like Saim Ayub couldn’t do much for the team and ended up making four runs only.

Additionally, the star of the day, Masood was caught by Jack Leach at 62.3 overs, after contributing the most with 151 runs off 177 balls, with 13 shots towards the boundary and two sixes.

Babar Azam aimed for a half century but ended up making runs below 40.

The former white-ball captain made 30 off 71 after five fours, directing towards the pavilion at 84.3 overs after Chris Woakes dismissed the player through a lbw.

Bowling first, Woakes and Leach bagged one wicket each while Atkinson took two wickets.

It is to be noted that England are being led by Ollie Pope in the first Test after the visitors’ captain Ben Stokes was ruled out of the contest due to a hamstring injury in the Hundred League.

Moreover, James Anderson, is not accompanying the team on their tour of Pakistan, as he is participating in the Scotland’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The last time England were in Pakistan for a red-ball series, they handed a 3-0 defeat to the national side back in 2022.

Before that, the visitors had played 24 Tests in Pakistan, winning just two out of them making the 3-0 win much more remarkable.

Playing XI

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmad

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir

Multan (AFP): Skipper Shan Masood and opener Abdullah Shafique both cracked centuries as Pakistan scored an impressive 328-4 on the opening day of the first Test against England in Multan on Monday.

Masood’s brilliant 151 was his first hundred for four years, while Shafique also returned to form with 102 as the pair put on a solid 253-run stand for the second wicket after Pakistan won the toss and batted.

England, led by Ollie Pope in the absence of the injured Ben Stokes, briefly fought back when they removed both Masood and Shafique in the space of just two runs in the third session.

The visitors then took the second new ball at 308-3 and dismissed Babar Azam, trapped leg-before by fast bowler Chris Woakes for 30. Saud Shakeel was unbeaten on 35 at the close of play, with nightwatchman Naseem Shah yet to score.

Captain Shan Masood scored his first century in four years to lift Pakistan to 233-1 at tea on the opening day of the first Test against England on Monday.

The 34-year-old left-hander was unbeaten on 130 and opener Abdullah Shafique was on 94 as the pair put on a brilliant unbroken 225 for the second wicket after Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat.

Masood had been under pressure to make runs, with his last hundred coming against the same opponents at Manchester in 2020 — 14 Tests and 27 innings ago.

He pushed England fast bowler Chris Woakes for a single to complete his fifth Test hundred off just 102 balls with two sixes and 11 fours in a dominant display of batting.

Shafique was equally assured as the pair made England’s three-pronged pace attack and two spinners toil on a batting-friendly Multan stadium pitch.

Shafique has so far hit 10 fours and a six.

Pakistan in command after a wicketless second session 🏏

Century for skipper Shan while Abdullah nears a ton 💯#PAKvENG | #TestAtHome pic.twitter.com/ENPC1Soihk

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 7, 2024

At lunch, Masood and opener Abdullah Shafique hit half-centuries to guide Pakistan to 122-1 at lunch on the opening day of the first Test against England.

Batting first after winning the toss on a greenish-looking pitch, Pakistan lost opener Saim Ayub for four before Masood with 61 not out and Shafique, who was unbeaten on 53, steadied the innings at Multan cricket stadium.

England took a wicket in the fourth over when fast bowler Gus Atkinson forced Ayub to glove a shorter ball down the legside to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith with the total on eight.

The visitors thought they had a second wicket when pace bowler Brydon Carse, on debut, trapped Masood in front on 16 and umpire Kumar Dharmasena gave the captain out lbw.

But a review showed the ball had pitched outside the leg stump.

Masood went on the attack against Shoaib Bashir, hitting the off-spinner for four boundaries, before two more off Atkinson took him to his 11th Test fifty.

Shafique, who survived being run out on 34 when Ollie Pope missed the stumps with his diving throw with the batsman short of his ground, smashed two fours and a six off Bashir to reach his sixth Test half-century.

In all, Shafique has cracked five fours and a six and Masood has hit seven fours.

Both teams have picked three fast bowlers and two spinners, hoping that the pitch will offer new ball help to the seamers before taking spin later in the match.