Pakistan’s batting problems in England have deepened after another major collapse at Lord’s, prompting former England captain Michael Vaughan to deliver a brutal assessment of the visitors’ Test batting standards.
Pakistan were dismissed for just 110 in their first innings of the second Test at Lord’s, leaving England with a commanding advantage. The collapse came after Pakistan had already suffered an innings-and-53-run defeat in the opening Test of the three-match series.
Vaughan, speaking on BBC Test Match Special, questioned whether Pakistan’s batting was currently good enough to meet the standards expected from an international Test team.
The former England captain compared the Pakistan batting lineup to a second-division county cricket side.
“But this is Pakistan batting. Is it second division county cricket? There's no way that they are batting in any standard to say that, that is a Test match batting lineup,” Vaughan said.
His comments came after Pakistan’s top order again struggled to put England under pressure.
Babar Azam, returning to the team after injury, managed only eight runs. Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan also fell for single-figure scores.
Azan Awais provided the most resistance with 46, but his contribution was not enough to prevent Pakistan from being bowled out for a low total.
The collapse handed England’s bowlers a significant advantage and allowed them to maintain relentless pressure throughout the innings.
MICHAEL VAUGHAN QUESTIONS PAKISTAN'S BATTING
Vaughan’s criticism focused primarily on Pakistan’s inability to make England’s bowlers pay for attacking them.
He argued that England’s bowling attack could continue attacking aggressively because Pakistan’s batters were not providing enough resistance.
“You're not going to get hurt. There's no batter that's going to hurt them. No one's going to damage their figures,” Vaughan said.
He suggested England’s bowlers could afford to give maximum effort in every spell because Pakistan were unlikely to produce the large totals required to put pressure back on them.
Vaughan said England’s bowlers could continue asking captain Joe Root for longer spells because there were plenty of opportunities to take wickets.
The former England captain also warned that England’s bowling attack could pose a serious threat to stronger batting lineups if the players maintain their current level.
“They're still doing a good job, and they're still looking very threatening,” Vaughan said.
He added that the attack could challenge better batting teams if it continued bowling in the same manner.
PAKISTAN'S TOP ORDER FAILS AGAIN
Pakistan’s biggest problem in the second Test was the failure of their established batters to build a meaningful innings.
Babar Azam’s return had generated considerable attention, but the former captain could score only eight runs.
Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood were also unable to provide stability at the top of the order, while Mohammad Rizwan departed for another low score.
With wickets falling regularly, Pakistan never managed to establish a partnership capable of changing the momentum of the innings.
Azan Awais eventually became the leading run-scorer with 46, but England’s bowlers remained firmly in control.
The lack of partnerships has become a major concern for Pakistan during the tour. Their inability to occupy the crease for extended periods has repeatedly exposed the bowling attack to pressure and left the team vulnerable to heavy defeats.
ENGLAND'S BOWLERS CONTINUE TO DOMINATE
England’s bowling attack has been one of the strongest aspects of the series.
Pakistan’s low totals have allowed England’s bowlers to maintain attacking fields and search for wickets without worrying about conceding large numbers of runs.
Vaughan believes that dynamic is particularly dangerous for Pakistan because England’s bowlers can attack every delivery without needing to protect their figures.
The former captain also believes that the quality of England’s bowling should not be underestimated simply because Pakistan have struggled.
According to Vaughan, the same attack could trouble much stronger batting lineups if it continues operating with the same intensity and discipline.
Pakistan therefore face a dual problem: their batting is failing to provide enough resistance, while England’s bowlers are gaining confidence with every collapse.
PRESSURE GROWS ON PAKISTAN AFTER DIFFICULT TOUR
The batting crisis has become part of a broader difficult tour for Pakistan.
The Lord’s Test has also been surrounded by controversy involving an interview with Kasim and Sulaiman Khan, the sons of former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Reports said the Pakistan Cricket Board had threatened to withdraw Pakistan from the Test and potentially the rest of the England tour if Sky Sports broadcast the interview, which focused on Imran Khan’s health and treatment in prison.
The interview was eventually aired, while Pakistan continued participating in the Test.
Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed later said that he and the players were unaware of the reported threat and maintained that their attention remained on cricket.
The performances on the field, however, have provided little relief.
England ended the second day of the Lord’s Test on 81 for three in their second innings, extending their lead to 261 runs.
Pakistan had already fallen 1-0 behind in the three-Test series following their heavy defeat in the opening match.
They now face a major challenge to prevent another defeat at Lord’s.
For Pakistan, the immediate priority is clear: the batting lineup must find a way to spend significantly more time at the crease and put pressure back on England.
Until that happens, Vaughan’s harsh comparison with a second-division county side will remain a reflection of the growing concern surrounding Pakistan’s Test batting.
The England series has exposed a lack of consistency, partnerships and resistance in Pakistan’s top order, while England’s bowlers have been able to exploit those weaknesses with increasing confidence.
