Ben Stokes Acknowledges Spinners, Blames Conditions for Loss

News Desk 

Multan:  England captain Ben Stokes acknowledged the outstanding performance of Pakistan’s spinners and pointed to challenging batting conditions and missed opportunities as key factors in his team’s defeat.

In a media briefing on Friday, Stokes praised the Pakistani bowlers for their exceptional play in the second Test, noting, “Pakistan’s spinners bowled really well.”

He highlighted that England’s inability to capitalize on crucial catches further hindered their chances of success.

Stokes remarked on the challenging nature of the Multan pitch, particularly as the match progressed, stating, “The Multan wicket was not easy for batting, especially as the game went on.”

He described the match as “interesting,” acknowledging that significant turn from the second day made batting increasingly difficult.

The England captain also underscored the impact of the toss, noting that Pakistan’s Shan Masood was fortunate to win it twice in a row. “The toss plays a key role sometimes, and Shan has been fortunate to win it both times. Credit to the Pakistan team for their performance,” he said.

Stokes praised his team’s efforts, particularly highlighting Ben Duckett’s stellar first innings and the strong performances from bowlers Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts.

“Ben Duckett was excellent in the first innings, and both Carse and Potts bowled really well,” he maintained.

Looking ahead to the final match of the series in Rawalpindi, Stokes expressed optimism, stating, “Every game in this series has produced a result, and we hope the same will happen in Rawalpindi.”