SHADAB KHAN hammered his bat into the ground in frustration. The force of the blow sent it slipping from his grasp as he walked from the crease. He picked it up again, then struck it against his own helmet in a gesture of self-reproach. Finally, in a token gesture, almost an afterthought, he made the sign for a “Player Review”.
By Chris Waters
Published 25th Oct 2026, 18:00 GMT
Shadab had just been given out lbw to Gus Atkinson, and England had beaten Pakistan by 20 runs. The ball was full and straight, and Shadab, on 97, was plumber than a dead cert.
The players shook hands, and Joe Root seemed to say something to his former Yorkshire team-mate, whom he played alongside briefly in 2022. “Bad luck, Shadab,” or words to that effect. “You didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.”
Then, like someone arriving with a pardon just as the guillotine was about to slice open the neck, technology revealed the faintest of spikes. Shadab - unbeknown to himself, never mind the umpire - had got the slightest of touches on the ball with his bat.
He couldn’t believe it - and neither could Haris Rauf, his partner at the other end, the England team or the crowd in Lahore. It was one of the most remarkable moments that the old game has seen.
Seventeen balls later, the players were shaking hands again - only this time after Pakistan had beaten England by one wicket to book their place in Saturday’s tri-series final. Shadab had 113 runs to his name, and Rauf seven, having hit the winning boundary down the ground off debutant Henry Crocombe. Their stand of 89 was the highest for the last wicket in a successful run chase in one-day internationals, after they had come together at 154-9 in pursuit of 242.
It left England, after three defeats from three, needing Pakistan to beat Sri Lanka in Lahore on Tuesday to stay in the tournament. Even then, they would have to beat Sri Lanka in their final match at the same ground on Thursday and hope to sneak through with a better net run-rate.
Having lost to the second-highest run-chase in ODI cricket only three days earlier, when Sri Lanka beat them by two wickets with one ball remaining in Rawalpindi after hunting down 430, England are clearly in need of a return to the drawing board. It will take some effort to pick themselves up from this.
They did not score enough runs, having been sent into bat on a pitch that looked likely to be full of them. Pakistan, for their part, were guilty of some poor shots too until Shadab’s maiden ODI hundred got them out of jail.
Ben Duckett scored 105 for England, from 111 balls with 10 fours and two sixes, but Sam Curran’s 42 from 52 was the only other innings of note from a top-order batsman. They shared 93 for the fifth wicket, the highest stand of the match.
England, bowled out for 241 in 46.4 overs, were indebted to Atkinson’s unbeaten 36 from No 10 - from 28 balls with three sixes - for giving them a chance. His last-wicket stand of 40 with Crocombe looked likely to be decisive until Shadab and Rauf intervened, the latter also playing for Yorkshire in 2022.
England made a poor start, slipping to 19-3 inside five overs. Tom Banton picked out cover to give Shaheen Shah Afridi, the Pakistan captain, his 150th ODI wicket on his 80th appearance. His 151st soon followed when Root cut to point.
Harry Brook was run out when he clipped Shaheen towards fine leg, where Razaullah, on debut, produced a sharp pick-up and throw to the wicketkeeper, who whipped off the bails with Brook well short. When Jordan Cox steered Rauf to gully/fifth slip, England were 52-4 in the 10th over. Duckett and Curran did their best to rebuild the innings, like a repair crew tackling the damage caused by Storm Boelo. Duckett was strong square on both sides of the wicket, while Curran ticked along in sensible support.
Shaheen eventually returned to break the stand, Curran hooking to fine leg. Razaullah took a fine low catch in his follow-through to dismiss Will Jacks off a leading edge, then Duckett fell to a top-edged sweep off left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas - 187-7 in the 37th over.
Liam Dawson pulled Razaullah to deep square, Jamie Overton chipped Arafat to long-off, and Crocombe - who replaced Josh Tongue (bruised toe) - was last out, caught in the covers off Shaheen, the most successful bowler with 4-46.
Pakistan also lost three early wickets. Atkinson had Fakhar Zaman sharply caught at slip by Overton, then bowled Babar Azam through the gate. Crocombe removed Saim Ayub with a loose shot steered to Overton at slip.
Saad Baig played some classy shots before cutting Overton to point. Hasan Nawaz skied Dawson to mid-off, Overton had Arafat turning to backward square, and Salman Agha chipped Dawson to long-off. Shaheen sliced Overton to Curran at third man, then Razaullah was bowled by Jacks through the gate. It looked all over, but Shadab, who hit 13 fours and five sixes from 96 balls, turned the match on its head.