Pakistan’s final warm-up match against Leicestershire ends in draw

LONDON: Leicestershire middle-order batsman Ateeq Javid’s half-century took the home side for a draw on the second day of the two-day warm-up test match against Pakistan at Grace Road on Saturday.

Javid opted to retire out on 54 runs off 144 balls. The home side scored 226/6 in 75 overs.

For the visiting side, Shadab Khan took two wickets, while medium fast bowler Saad Ali, Muhammad Abbas and Fakhar Zaman took a wicket each.

Earlier, Openers Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman both made fifties as they shared a century stand.

Pakistan declared on 321 for nine with Azhar having scored 73 and Fakhar 71, the openers sharing a stand of 121 in an innings where Usman Salahuddin made 69.

The match is Pakistan´s last before they face England at Lord´s on Thursday in the first of a two-Test series.

Azhar´s innings was especially encouraging after he twice fell cheaply, for four and two, in Pakistan´s five-wicket win over debutants Ireland in last week´s stand-alone Test at Malahide, Dublin.

The 33-year-old Azhar, whose 63 Tests have yielded 14 centuries, appears inked in to open against England alongside the in-form Imam-ul-Haq, rested from the Leicestershire game.

Fakhar, whose blazing century helped Pakistan beat arch-rivals India in last year´s Champions Trophy one-day final at The Oval, has yet to make his Test debut.