Who Is Arafat Minhas? The Spinner Who Troubled England

News Desk

RAWALPINDI:  Pakistan defeated England in the second match of the tri-nation ODI series, producing an impressive bowling performance led by left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas, who claimed six wickets to help his side defend a target of 303 runs.

Chasing 303, England made a promising start as openers Tom Banton and Ben Duckett added 91 runs for the first wicket. Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf broke the partnership by dismissing Duckett for 45, providing the breakthrough Pakistan needed.

Minhas then turned the match in Pakistan’s favour with a remarkable spell of bowling. He finished with figures of six wickets for 40 runs in 8.4 overs and also contributed a run-out, dismantling England’s batting line-up.

Banton top-scored for England with 57 runs, while Duckett made 45. Joe Root contributed 33 runs, followed by Sam Curran with 27, Will Jacks with 19 and Jordan Cox with 18. The remaining batters failed to reach double figures.

England Win Toss, Elect to Field

Earlier, England captain Harry Brook won the toss and elected to field first against Pakistan in the second match of the tri-nation ODI series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Speaking after the toss, Brook described the series as a different challenge and said England would aim to restrict Pakistan to a manageable total. He also confirmed that leg-spinner Adil Rashid had been included in the playing XI.

Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi said his team would look to post a big total after batting first in the previous match as well. He expressed satisfaction with the team’s bowling performance in the opening game and said the experienced players were finding form at the right time.

Shaheen also praised Salman Ali Agha’s performance in the previous match, saying the innings would boost the batter’s confidence. He confirmed that Pakistan had retained the same playing XI.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Saad Baig, Hassan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf.

England: Harry Brook (captain), Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jordan Cox (wicketkeeper), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid and Sonny Baker.

Pakistan Lead Tri-Nation Series

Pakistan entered the match at the top of the points table after defeating Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the series opener on October 18. England, meanwhile, began their campaign with the encounter against Pakistan.

The tri-nation ODI series features Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka, with matches scheduled across Rawalpindi and Lahore.

England are scheduled to face Sri Lanka on October 22 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Pakistan will take on England in Lahore on October 25 before meeting Sri Lanka on October 27. England and Sri Lanka will meet again on October 29, while the final is scheduled to take place in Lahore on October 31.

During the preliminary stage, each team will play two matches against each of the other sides, with the top two teams qualifying for the final.

Pakistan-England ODI Record

Pakistan and England have faced each other in 92 One Day Internationals, according to the figures provided, with England winning 57 matches and Pakistan securing 32 victories. Three matches ended without a result. England have won four of the last five ODI encounters between the two sides, while Pakistan have won one.

The Rawalpindi fixture also marked a significant occasion, as it was the first ODI between Pakistan and England on Pakistani soil in 21 years. Their previous ODI on home soil was played on December 21, 2005, when England won the match, although Pakistan went on to win the five-match series 3–2.

England also played three ODIs in Pakistan during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, losing all three encounters.

In the ICC ODI rankings cited ahead of the match, England were placed fourth and Pakistan fifth. England arrived in Pakistan after winning an ODI series against Sri Lanka 2–1, while their last ODI series victory on Pakistani soil dated back to the 1987–88 season.

Pakistan, meanwhile, had remained unbeaten in its previous three ODI series at home. The team had also lost only one of its last 10 ODIs at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, giving the hosts confidence ahead of the series.