5 Pakistan batsmen with most Test runs against England

The England cricket team put up a clinical performance in the third and final Test of the series and thrashed the West Indies by 269 runs to clinch the Wisden Trophy 2-1. The next challenge that awaits the hosts is the Pakistan side that will visit England for a three-match Test series starting from August 5, 2020.

Over the years, the batsmen from Pakistan have played some riveting knocks against England and delighted the cricketing aficionados. If Inzamam ul Haq’s effervescent 148 at the iconic Lords cricket ground in the year 1996 was one for the connoisseurs of the game, then Javed Miandad’s magical 260 at the Kennington Oval in 1987 made the crowd gape at him for the blemishless mastery that he exhibited.

As the three-match Test series between the two nations gets underway on August 5^th, let us have a look at the top five run-scorers for Pakistan against England in Tests.

Here’s the list:

5. Saleem Malik (1396 runs)

With a run tally of 1396 runs from 28 innings, Saleem Malik occupies the fifth position in the list. The legendary right-hander always took a special liking to the English bowling attack and scored as many 4 hundreds and 9 fifties and averaged an impressive 60.69 against England in white flannels.

The stand out knock from the willow of Malik against England came in the year 1992 when he scored a sedate 165 at Edgbaston. His hundred allowed Pakistan to draw the Test match against the hosts.

Malik featured in 103 Tests for Pakistan in a career that spanned 17 years and scored 5768 runs for his side. He retired from the game in the year 1999.

4. Younis Khan (1426 runs)

The only batsman to cross the 10000 run mark for Pakistan in Tests, Younis Khan stands at the fourth position in the list. The right-hander featured in as many as 31 innings against England and scored 1426 runs in the whites.

Younis Khan also scored 4 hundreds and 4 fifties and averaged 46.00 against England in Tests. His stand out performance against England was a serene 218 that he scored at The Kennington Oval that resulted in a victory for his side. In a knock studded with 31 fours and 4 sixes, Khan put the English bowling attack to the sword by combining dexterity with calculated aggression.

Khan retired from the game in the year 2017 after playing international cricket for 16 years and featured in as many as 118 Tests for his country. Till today, Younis Khan remains the only Pakistani batsman to have scored over 30 Test hundreds.

3. Mohammad Yousuf (1499 runs)

If there was one Pakistani batsman who always proved to be a tough nut to crack for England in Test cricket, it has to be Mohammad Yousuf. The right-hander featured in 24 innings against England and scored 1499 runs at a gargantuan average of 62.45.

Yousuf also scored 6 hundreds and 3 half-centuries against the English bowling attack. His highest score against England was a solid 233 that he conjured at Lahore in the year 2005. Yousuf’s double century allowed Pakistan to thrash their opposition by an innings and 100 runs.

Yousuf played his final Test against England in the year 2010. Though he could not set the Indus aflame in his final appearance, Yousuf’s exploits against England will always be remembered with a sense of fondness.

2. Mushtaq Mohammad (1554 runs)

Edging past Yousuf to occupy the second place is Mushtaq Mohammad. The right-hander featured in as many as 41 innings against England and scored 1554 runs in the white flannels at an average of 42.00. Mushtaq also scored 3 hundreds and 11 fifties against the English bowling attack.

Mushtaq’s defining performance against England was the 157 that he scored in a  drawn affair in the year 1973. His knock allowed Pakistan to post a commanding total of 569 runs on the board, in reply to England’s first innings total of 487.

Another pivotal knock from the willow of Mohammad against England came in the year 1962 when he scored 100* in the fourth innings to help Pakistan draw a Test they looked like losing. In a career that spanned 57 Tests, Mushtaq scored 3643 runs for Pakistan in Test cricket.

1. Inzamam ul Haq (1584 runs)

At the No.1 spot is former Pakistani skipper Inzamam ul Haq. The batting legend is one of the most decorated Pakistani batsmen of all time, having amassed 8830 runs in Tests, at an average of 49.60. Inzamam is also the second most capped Pakistani cricketer after Javed Miandad, having featured in 120 Tests.

Inzamam was splendid against England throughout his Test career. In the 32 innings that the master batsman played against the English bowling attack, he scored 1584 runs at an average of 54.62. He also scored 5 hundreds and 10 fifties against England.

As mentioned before, his best batting performance against England was the 148 that he scored at Lords. His pristine century allowed Pakistan to thrash England by 164 runs. Another master class from the willow of Inzamam against England came in the year 2005 when he scored hundreds in both the innings of the Test match at Faisalabad.

Inzamam scored  109 runs in the first innings and followed that up with a quickfire 100* of just 134 balls in the second innings in a drawn affair. The legendary right-hander walked away from the game in the year 2007 after played at the highest level for 15 years for his country.

Note:All stats have been taken from Cricinfo and Howstat Cricket and have been updated as on 28th July 2020