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‘To get Babar Azam out is a dream come true,’ says England’s Rehan Ahmed

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Teenage sensation Rehan Ahmed Monday said “to get Babar Azam out is a dream come true” after his heroics left England on the brink of victory in the third Test against Pakistan and a record clean sweep.

Ahmed dismissed Pakistan captain and key player Mohammad Rizwan among others as his spin bowling proved to be the game-changer for England on day three. 

The 18-year-old became the youngest debutant in men’s Test history to take five wickets in a single inning, beating the previous record held by Australia’s Pat Cummins.

“It was probably the best day of my life again. To get a five-for on debut is a dream come true,” Ahmed told the BBC.

“I have bowled better balls and not got wickets. To get Babar Azam out is a dream come true. He is a very good player.

“I liked the Rizwan wicket because I have been working hard on my leg-spin for the last two months with bowling coach Jeetan Patel. To get one to spin a little bit was great.”

Having bowled out Pakistan for 216 in the second innings, England are chasing a target of 167.

They will resume at 112-2 later on Tuesday, needing 55 runs to win the Test and become the first test team to complete a 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan, having won the first two tests in Rawalpindi and Multan.

After an explosive opening stand of 93 runs, Abrar Ahmed finally got the breakthrough for Pakistan after trapping Zak Crawley in front of the stumps. The right-hander scored run-a-ball 41 with the help of seven fours.

Ahmed, who was sent in as nightwatchman, became Abrar’s second wicket after scoring 10 runs.

At the close of play, Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes were unbeaten on 50 and 10 runs respectively.

Earlier, England were set a target of 167 runs to win the third and final Test after dismissing Pakistan for 216 in their second innings.

Skipper Babar Azam scored 54 and Saud Shakeel 53.

Babar became the first Pakistani in six years to score 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year and the fourth batter to reach the milestone in 2022 during the second innings.

He is the sixth Pakistani batter to reach 1,000 in a year, crossing the total when he reached 45 during an innings that ended on 54.

Babar and Shakeel added 110 runs for the fourth wicket to put Pakistan in a decent position but the former’s dismissal, when the score had reached 164, started a collapse with the home being bowled out for 216.

Pakistan lost their last seven wickets in the second innings while adding only 52 runs.

Despite Babar’s solid form, Pakistan are staring at a first-ever 3-0 series whitewash on home soil.

England won the first Test by 74 runs in Rawalpindi and the second in Multan by 26 runs.

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The team’s failure to capitalize against India is acknowledged by Mohammad Rizwan.

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After losing to India in Sunday’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match, Pakistan captain Muhammad Rizwan acknowledged that his team did not take advantage of winning the toss.

According to Rizwan, India’s bowlers controlled the middle overs, limiting Pakistan to 240 runs after they had set a goal of 280.

“When Saud Shakeel and I were batting, our plan was to take the game deep, but our shot selection was poor, which cost us wickets at crucial moments,” Rizwan said. He admitted that India’s bowling attack limited Pakistan’s ability to reach a competitive score.

Rizwan also praised the efforts of India’s hitters, especially Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, who stole the match from Pakistan with their outstanding batting. Rizwan said, “In ODI cricket, you have to perform in all three aspects,” highlighting his team’s general inability to win the match.

The skipper of Pakistan also emphasized the necessity to strengthen their fielding by highlighting persistent errors. “We have been consistently making the same errors, particularly when fielding. Going forward, we must work on these,” he continued.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, commended his team’s teamwork in the victory and gave bowlers Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja credit for holding Pakistan to a low score.

“Our bowlers performed admirably in keeping Pakistan’s score down. Things were difficult because of Saud Shakeel and Rizwan’s alliance, but we followed our plan,” Sharma stated.

“Virat batted brilliantly today, but none of us in the dressing room are surprised by his performance,” Sharma said in reference to Virat Kohli’s game-winning innings.

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Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledges difficulties during the death overs.

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Following Pakistan’s triumph over South Africa in the tri-nation series, Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledged the issue of death bowling.

In response to the injury concern, the left-arm pacer stated, “My finger is fine; I underwent an X-ray.” Some swelling persists, but I anticipate improvement shortly. These matches are essential for preparation for the Champions Trophy 2025.

Commenting on his interaction with a South African batsman, Shaheen stated, “For the first time, he remained silent.” I was the one instigating him to lose his wicket.

Prioritizing collective effort over personal achievements, Shaheen stated, “This is not about Babar or Shaheen—it is about Pakistan.” “The presence of negativity will hinder progress in any context.”

During Wednesday’s match, tensions escalated when Shaheen Shah Afridi confronted Matthew Breetzke, necessitating intervention from the on-field umpire and other players to separate them.

During a crucial tri-series encounter at Karachi’s National Stadium, South African batsman Matthew Breetzke and Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi engaged in a contentious confrontation. Matthew Breetzke and Shaheen Shah Afridi were engaged in a confrontational exchange in a video that gained widespread attention on social media.

Matthew Breetzke, who scored a century in the previous match against New Zealand in Lahore, edged a delivery to the onside in the 28th over of the innings. Shaheen Afridi appeared displeased when the 26-year-old nearly collided with the left-arm fast bowler while dashing between the wickets to converse with Breetzke.

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The Champions Trophy and Tri-Nation series traffic strategy for Karachi has been released.

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While alternate routes and designated parking spots have been set up to ensure seamless traffic flow, the traffic police say Sir Shah Suleman Road would remain open for regular traffic on match days.

Travellers from Karsaz can park their cars beneath the flyover at the China Ground and National Coaching Centre.

Parking for those travelling from Millennium will also be available at China Ground and the National Coaching Centre.

The same parking lots are open to New Town visitors.

To prevent any disruption, Karachi Police have stressed that cars should only be parked in approved spots. For a hassle-free commute on match days, commuters are encouraged to plan their routes appropriately and heed traffic police instructions.

Traffic Diversions: To alleviate congestion on match days, heavy traffic will be rerouted from Sohrab Goth to Nipa and Liaquatabad No. 10 to Hassan Square. There will also be a rerouting of heavy vehicles from People’s Chowrangi via University Road.

Heavy Traffic Restricted Roads: The following roads will not be open to heavy traffic:

Millennium to New Town Stadium Signal to Hassan Square Karsaz to Stadium

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