FAISLABAD, November 22 (Online): One spectator got minor injures due to bursting of cylinder in Iqbal stadium where second test match between Pakistan and England was underway on Monday.
After the blast, the law enforcement agencies immediately took over the situation and cordoned both the members of the team.
The blast took place around 3:30 after tea break near the boundary line of the stadium resulting in minor injuries to a spectator.
Play was briefly suspended after a loud bang near the perimeter advertising hoarding. After a few minutes of confusion, it appeared that a gas cylinder had exploded and concern that it might be something more serious gave way to relief. Players and officials remained in the middle of the pitch while security and police gathered in the area affected.
It must be mentioned that blast occurred due to bursting of cylinder of beverage trolley that was near the boundary line.
After getting a formal clearance from the law enforcement agencies, the match was restarted after a short interval.
Meanwhile Pakistan took a firm grip on the second Test at Faisalabad thanks to some brutal batting in the morning session and two wickets from Rana Naved-ul-Hasan midway through the afternoon. On a pitch which remains nearly perfect, his double strike was worth its weight in gold as England reached 113 for the loss of three wickets at the close of second day.
Trescothick and Andrew Strauss saw off the new ball without alarm, but just as the crowd grew quieter and the fielders’ body language showed signs of frustration, the impressively accurate Naved struck twice. Firstly, Strauss bottom-edged an ambitious pull into his stumps, and then Vaughan was cleaned up by a fast, straight yorker and his middle stump was sent cartwheeling. In his brief stay Vaughan almost accounted for Trescothick who was forced to live full-length after a mix-up, scrambling home by inches.
Trescothick was later adjuged caught behind the bowling of Mohammad Sami. Trescothick uder edged a sharp delivery whihc wicket keeper Kamran Akmal caught neatly.
Earlier Pakistan’s 462 was entertaining and never short of drama, and such was the ferocity of the assault in the morning that the cricket often bore more resemblance to a one-day match than a Test. But it could have been far worse for England, who were aided by some luck and a poor decision by the third umpire.
Another near-capacity and vocal crowd was entertained throughout as Pakistan scored runs with style, their batsmen driving and pulling with confidence on a pitch which, if possible, offered even less to the bowlers than it had on the first day.
The main talking point was the dismissal of Inzamam-ul-Haq shortly after he had equaled Javed Miandad’s record of 23 Test hundreds for Pakistan. He played a full toss back to Steve Harmison, and the bowler immediately threw down his stumps. The third umpire was called upon, but while the batsman was marginally out, it looked to the naked eye as if Inzamam lifted his back foot while taking evasive action, and according to laws, that is not out. It was a poor decision, and one not even given with the excuse of the officials acting in the heat of the moment. Inzamam departed with a bewildered look on his face, while outside the boundary ropes Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, was more animated. It was an unfitting end to a fine innings.
That was the second wicket of the day, and the first, that of Shahid Afridi, was also far from straightforward. Last night, Afridi told reporters that he would take things easy against the new ball this morning. He obviously changed his mind after a sleep and from the off looked to attack, lofting the first ball he faced towards long on. Even Inzamam, who had played a solid anchor innings yesterday, appeared just as keen to open up.
While Andrew Flintoff was treated with caution, Matthew Hoggard was not afforded the same respect. Inzamam hammered him for successive fours and then Afridi slammed him for two sixes and a four off consecutive balls as the first five-and-a-half overs yielded 46 runs and England’s fielders scattered to all parts. But on 92, Afridi felt at one from Hoggard and edged low to Marcus Trescothick at wide slip. After a delay while all and sundry thought long and hard - the ball only just carried - Afridi departed, his electrifying 86-ball innings over, and England might have expected that some semblance of normality would return to proceedings.
Although there was a lull while Inzamam suffered a brief bout of nerves in the nineties - surviving a confident shout for lbw when padding up to Hoggard - he finally reached his hundred, beamed with delight, and abnormal service was resumed.
Kamran Akmal, who got off the mark with a sumptuous cover drive, Naved-ul-Hasan and Mohammad Sami all chipped in with breezy cameos as England spent an increasing amount of time chasing the ball or watching it disappear into the stands. And after lunch, Shoaib deposited Harmison into the delirious crowd twice in three balls before perishing attempting it once too often.
Flintoff and Harmison bowled well and were given a degree of respect, but Michael Vaughan’s options were limited by the ineffectiveness of his spinners. When Ashley Giles was brought into the attack he was immediately smacked for six and although he picked up two late wickets, he did not look to have the control or guile to contain, let alone threaten, and he was also clearly troubled by his hip injury. Shaun Udal wasn’t even called upon until seven minutes before the break, and his first ball was hammered to the cover boundary in an over which yielded 10 runs. Pakistan set out from the off to disrupt England’s spinners, and it was a ploy which was highly successful.
Meanwhile English Cricket Board Spokesman said that England squad likewise in Multan will auction former cricketers bat and ball as donation for the quake victims during the second test match in Faislabad.
According to English Cricket Board officials, the simple but dignified ceremony during the second test is expected to collect a good amount from auction of bat and ball of former English cricketers as Faislabad is famous all over the world for industrial point of view.
It was further told that a bat and ball was on auction and highest bid was given by a pharmaceutical businessman for Rs 300,000.
Also Rs 300,000 was given by the English team officials to DCO Multan Iftiqar Babur for the victims of earthquake.
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