AFP, Southampton :
Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas took two wickets on Monday as a weather-interrupted second Test against England at Southampton ended in a predictable draw.
England were 110-4 in reply to Pakistan’s first innings 236 when home captain Joe Root (nine not out) declared to hasten the end of a match ahead of what would have been the statutory last hour.
Root’s move ended the shortest Test in England, in terms of balls bowled, since a rain-affected draw between England and Pakistan at Lord’s in 1987.
Abbas, who took 2-28 from 14 overs, removed Zak Crawley (53) and Dom Sibley (32).
England, who enjoyed a three-wicket win in the first Test at Old Trafford earlier this month, remain 1-0 up in a three-match series ahead of Friday’s finale, also at Southampton.
“It has been frustrating for both teams,” Pakistan captain Azhar Ali told Sky Sports.
“The game was set quite nicely, with conditions good for bowling throughout – the total we got, we thought would be very competitive but, unfortunately, the weather was the winner in the end.”
Umpires Richard Kettleborough and Michael Gough had been widely criticised for their interpretation of the rules regarding rain and bad light, even on a ground where the floodlights have been in use, with former England captain Nasser Hussain saying that “merely because conditions are not ideal is not a reason to walk off the field”.
Root, while happy to still be 1-0 up, suggested England could follow the example of other Test-match countries by being flexible with their start time in the event of bad weather, rather than sticking rigidly to 1000 GMT and trying to make up lost time later in the day.
