Table of Contents
During the second T20I of the four-match series between England and Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham, a surprising incident occurred as a fan breached security and ran onto the field on Saturday, May 25. The unexpected pitch invasion caused a temporary halt to the match.
England set formidable target
England, led by their captain Jos Buttler, posted an impressive total of 183/7. Buttler’s commanding performance saw him score 84 runs off 51 balls, establishing a challenging target of 184 for Pakistan to chase. Apart from the English skipper, Will Jacks chipped in with valuable 37 from 23 balls. For the Men in Green, pacer Shaheen Afridi was the pick of the bowler, taking three wickets for 36 in his quota of 4 overs. Imad Wasim and Haris Rauf bagged two scalps each.
Intruder disrupts play
The game was interrupted when a spectator, waving a Palestinian flag, dashed onto the pitch. The fan was seen running past Pakistani batsmen Iftikhar Ahmed and Imad, who were in the midst of a crucial 40-run partnership. The swift action by stadium security ensured the intruder was quickly removed from the field, allowing the match to resume shortly thereafter. The video of the incident quickly circulated on social media, and went viral all over the internet.
Here is the video:
Man runs onto the pitch with a Palestine flag in the Pakistan vs England game in Edgbaston, Birmingham!
Free Palestine kay naaray! 🇵🇸🔥 #Pakveng #EngvPak pic.twitter.com/8dNItsZ1Ft
— Mojo Jojo 🔥 (@ReecyJames_) May 25, 2024
Also READ: Twitter reactions – Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer shine as England takes series lead over Pakistan
Pakistan’s effort falls short
As Pakistan began their innings, they found themselves struggling at 100/6 at one stage. Following the interruption of the pitch invader, Pakistan’s chase resumed, but they continued to struggle. Iftikhar and Imad’s partnership was broken when the latter was dismissed with the team score at 140/7. Pakistan’s innings eventually concluded at 160 all out, resulting in a 23-run defeat.
Moen Ali shines with the ball
Fakhar Zaman stood out for Pakistan with a rapid 45 off 21 balls, while captain Babar Azam contributed 32 off 26 balls. Despite these efforts, the middle-order batters failed to make significant contributions, leaving Pakistan short of the target.
On the bowling front, Jofra Archer, making his return to international cricket, claimed two wickets, bolstering England’s bowling attack. All-rounder Moeen Ali, however, was the standout bowler as he excelled with figures of 4/26, maintaining an economy rate of 6.50 over four overs. Reece Topley also made an impact, taking three wickets but ended up conceding 41 runs in 3.2 overs.
