5 Iconic England vs Pakistan Tests in England

Lord’s, 2010: The spot-fixing scandal

On the field, an 18-year-old Mohammad Amir took 6/84 to leave England reeling at 102/7, before Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad mounted a record 332-run 8th-wicket stand. However, the Lord’s Test in 2010 was completely overshadowed by a ‘News of the World’ sting exposing Amir, Mohammad Asif, and captain Salman Butt for orchestrating deliberate no-balls for money. The fallout resulted in ICC bans and prison terms for all three players.

The Oval, 1954: Pakistan’s historic first win

Playing in only their ninth Test at the Oval in 1954, a young Pakistan side stunned England by 24 runs to draw the series. The legendary Medium-pacer Fazal Mahmood bowled one of the greatest match-winning spells in Test history, taking 12/99 across both innings to defend a tiny fourth-innings target of 168. His second-innings heroics of taking 6 for 46 bowling 30 overs are part of Pakistan cricket’s folklore.

Lord’s, 1992: Wasim and Waqar’s reverse swing blitz

Wasim Akram (4/66) and Waqar Younis (5/91) produced a masterclass in reverse swing, ripping through England’s batting lineup during the Lord’s Test in 1992. In a dramatic fourth innings, chasing 138, Pakistan collapsed to 95/8 before the pace partners combined again. This time the duo rose the occasion with the bat. Their unbeaten 46-run stand, led by Wasim’s nerve-shredding 45 not out and Waqar’s unbeaten 20, sealed a dramatic two-wicket victory.

The Oval, 2006: The Inzamam forfeiture

The Oval Test in 2006 remains one of the most controversial matches in cricket history. After umpire Darrell Hair penalized Pakistan four runs for alleged ball-tampering, captain Inzamam-ul-Haq refused to lead his team back onto the field after tea on Day 4. The protest was followed by a long discussion. The umpires eventually awarded the game to England, marking the first and only forfeiture in Test cricket history. Over the years, that result changed to a ‘draw’ before finally being decided as an ‘England win’ by the ICC.

Lord’s, 2016: Misbah’s Push-Ups & Yasir’s Spin

After six years of the 2010 scandal, Pakistan’s return to Lord’s saw the 42-year-old captain Misbah-ul-Haq hit a famous century. However, the celebration became more iconic, thanks to Misbah’s military-style push-ups. Pakistan defeated England by 75 runs as the leg-spinner Yasir Shah completely dominated the contest, taking a magnificent ten-wicket match haul to dismantle the hosts’ batting lineup. Chasing a target of 283, England collapsed to 207 all out on day four. Mohammad Amir cleanly bowled Jake Ball to secure the emotional victory.