(AFP): England declared their first innings at a mammoth 823-7 before tea on the fourth day of the opening test against Pakistan on Thursday for a lead of 267 runs.

Harry Brook notched up a superb 317 and Joe Root hit 262 as both batsmen made their highest test scores on the flat wicket at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

The 25-year-old Brook clubbed a four-off spinner Saim Ayub to become the sixth Englishman to score 300 or more in Test cricket, achieving the feat off 310 balls, with 28 fours and three sixes.

Andy Sandham of England was the first batsman to score a triple hundred in Test cricket, scoring 325 against the West Indies at Kingston in 1930.

Other Englishmen to score 300 are Len Hutton (364), Wally Hammond (336 not out), Graham Gooch (333 not out) and Bill Edrich (310 not out).

Brook has made rapid strides at the international level since making his debut in 2022.

He knocked three centuries against Pakistan in 2022 — in only his second series, which England won 3-0.

England declare with a lead of 267 runs 🏏

Pakistan’s second innings will commence shortly.#PAKvENG | #TestAtHome pic.twitter.com/iTqboWwUZW

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 10, 2024

Brook’s senior partner Joe Root was unlucky not to reach his maiden triple century as he was trapped leg-before by spinner Agha Salman for 262 soon after lunch.

England resumed on 492-3 and looked for quick runs, which Root and Brook provided despite Pakistan’s defensive leg-side bowling, adding 166 runs in 29 overs in the session.

Root, who went past Alastair Cook’s 12,472 to become England’s highest Test run scorer on Wednesday, broke his previous best of 254 which he had also scored against Pakistan at Manchester in 2016.

Pakistan’s only chance came in the first hour when Root, on 186, failed to keep down a pull shot off pace bowler Naseem Shah but Babar Azam shelled the regulation chance at mid-wicket.

Pakistan were without frontline spinner Abrar Ahmed who suffered a fever and did not take the field on Thursday.

The No. 1 seed New York Liberty and No. 2 seed Minnesota Lynx will vie for the 2024 championship in a best-of-five WNBA Finals beginning Thursday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) with Game 1 in Brooklyn.

Both teams enter the Finals with contrasting histories. The Liberty, one of the league’s original franchises, are still searching for their first title, with last year’s Finals defeat still fresh in their minds.

The Lynx were one of the most storied dynasties in the sport after winning four championships between 2011 and 2017 — the latter also marking the last time they appeared in a Finals series, until this season.

With Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu leading the way, New York was widely expected to be back here heading into Year Two of its superteam formation. Minnesota? Not exactly. The Lynx were 19-21 in 2023 and weren’t picked as a contender ahead of this season. But behind a career year from MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier, Minnesota has proved it belongs on the WNBA’s biggest stage.

Minnesota needed a Game 5 to put away the Connecticut Sun in the semifinals, but it’s fitting the Lynx and Liberty will face off in the Finals. They were the top two teams in the standings, and met in the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup championship game in late June.

ESPN breaks down what to know about each team and what to expect from the championship series.

Regular season series: Minnesota won 3-1, including the Commissioner’s Cup championship game

New York in the playoffs: Swept Atlanta Dream 2-0 in the first round; beat two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces 3-1 in the semifinals

Minnesota in the playoffs: Swept Phoenix Mercury 2-0 in the first round; beat Connecticut Sun 3-2 in the semifinals

How New York got here: After a standout 2023, the team’s first season after acquiring Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot in free agency, New York retooled its bench to bring in more defense and length, most significantly signing 24-year-old rookie Leonie Fiebich from Germany (who now starts in place of Vandersloot). With enhanced chemistry among their returners, the Liberty finished with a league best 32-8 record, not losing consecutive games at any point this year. — Philippou

How Minnesota got here: The Lynx made key changes in the offseason, bringing in Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith in free agency and trading for Natisha Hiedeman. Kayla McBride and Bridget Carleton have had strong seasons, too. Collier was Defensive Player of the Year along with a second-place MVP finish. Minnesota’s only rough stretch was before the Olympic break, when Collier was dealing with plantar fasciitis. — Voepel

How they match up: There’s a reason these teams occupied the top two spots of the standings: They were the only teams to finish in top-four in both offensive and defensive rating this season, with the Lynx slightly edging the Liberty defensively but New York having the better numbers offensively. Both squads lean on sharing the ball and 3-point shooting, but the Liberty also have the tandem of 6-foot-4 Stewart and 6-6 Jones that can get it done inside.

There’s plenty of star power: Stewart and Jones are former MVPs, Collier the 2024 runner-up. Ionescu, McBride and Williams are playing like three of the best guards in the league. Rotations tend to get shorter in the postseason, but Liberty coach Sandy Brondello and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve have depth at their disposal, with nine players on each team averaging at least 12 minutes per game on the season. — Philippou

What will most impact the series: How much the Liberty are able to win the paint with Stewart and Jones might be the key to the series. It won’t be easy; Minnesota got even stronger inside with the addition of forward Myisha Hines-Allen on Aug. 20. Stewart is coming off perhaps her best game of the playoffs, with 19 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks as New York eliminated Las Vegas on Sunday. But her fellow UConn grad Collier — they played together for the Huskies in the 2015-16 championship season — has been the playoffs’ most impressive player. Tuesday was Collier’s 16th career WNBA postseason game, and her third with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds. — Voepel

New York will win it all if … Ionescu continues to play like the best guard in the league. The former Oregon Ducks star is hungry to win her first championship after not getting a chance to compete for the NCAA title her senior year of college due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a slump when play resumed following the Olympics, she has been the Liberty’s top scorer in the postseason, averaging 20.7 PPG on 48.9% shooting (46.5% on 3-pointers) plus 5.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. — Philippou

Minnesota will win it all if … Collier asserts herself as much as she has so far in the postseason, and if Minnesota’s 3-point shooting is on point. The Lynx led the WNBA in assists during the regular season; they move the ball incredibly well and spread out even the best defenses. They shot a league-best 38% from behind the arc in the regular season and don’t lack any confidence facing the Liberty. Nor should they, considering their success against New York this season. — Voepel

Which team will win the title, and why:

Philippou: Liberty in 5. New York will win because it has the hunger, focus and experience from last year’s Finals defeat — plus home court advantage — to finally get the job done.

Voepel: Lynx in 5. Minnesota is the No. 2 seed, but was the better team head-to-head in its previous matchups with New York. The Lynx have played very consistently and cohesively all season, and they can add the league title to their Commissioner’s Cup championship from June.

KARACHI: Pakistani squash players delivered standout performances at the Mile High 360 Squash Classic, advancing to the quarterfinals of the $15,000 event in Denver. Three players — Muhammad Asim Khan, Ashab Irfan, and Noor Zaman — have secured their spots in the final eight.

Asim fought off a tough challenge from India’s Veer Chotrani, winning in four games with a score of 11-9, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6. He displayed exceptional resilience, especially in the first two games, managing to edge out Chotrani in tight sets before clinching the match.

Ashab produced a strong showing against Dillon Huang of the United States, winning 3-1. After a brief setback in the second game, Irfan bounced back to win with scores of 11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 11-3.

Meanwhile, Noor dominated eighth-seed Joseph White of Australia in straight sets, securing victory with a convincing 11-8, 11-5, 11-3. Zaman’s commanding performance has earned him a place among the tournament’s top eight.

In the quarterfinals, Asim will face Mexico’s second-seed Cesar Salazar, Noor will go up against the USA’s Spencer Lovejoy, and Ashab will challenge Canada’s David Baillargeon.

Bangladesh’s seasoned all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has apologised for not speaking out during the violent demonstrations in the country which saw scores of people being killed in the student-led movement that succeeded in ousting the country’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August.

“Firstly, I would like to pay my respects to all the students who sacrificed their lives, led the anti-discrimination movement, and were martyred or injured during the people’s uprising,” said Shakib in a post on Facebook.

The apology comes after Shakib — who was a parliament member of the Hasina-led Awami League party — was booked in a murder case involving the death of a garment factory worker.

The cricketer has not been home since protests erupted in July but the Bangladesh Cricket Board has assured him he will not be harassed on his return.

“I extend my deepest respect and condolences to them and their families,” read the cricketer’s post on Facebook on Wednesday.

“While no sacrifice can compensate for the loss of a loved one, nothing can fill the void of losing a child or a brother, to those of you who were hurt by my silence during this critical period, I respect your feelings and sincerely apologise. If I were in your place, I too might have been upset,” he added.

The all-rounder is considered the greatest cricketer Bangladesh has produced but his political past places the former captain in a tricky position as an interim government supervises a power transition.

He has played 71 tests, 247 One-Day Internationals and 129 Twenty20 Internationals, amassing 14,730 runs and claiming 712 wickets to establish himself as one of the leading all-rounders of his era.

“I want to say goodbye with all of you around. At the moment of farewell, I want to shake hands with those whose applause compelled me to play better,” the former skipper said while requesting the fans to be present for his final test match against South Africa in Dhaka starting from October 21.

“I want to meet the eyes of those who cheered in joy when I played well and whose eyes welled up with tears when I did not,” he remarked.

Last month, he announced that he would soon retire from international cricket but hoped to play at least one more match back home first.

“It’s my desire, I have said this to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the selectors,” he told reporters.