Pakistan only as good as 2nd division county team: Ex-captain offers brutal take

ENG vs PAK: Michael Vaughan has delivered a brutal assessment of Pakistan's batting after their latest collapse at Lord's. The former England captain compared the visitors to a second-division county side and questioned whether they are meeting Test-match standards.Pakistan batters put on a disaster show in Lord's vs England. (Reuters Photo)Pakistan's batting struggles in England have reached a point where former England captain Michael Vaughan believes the visitors are barely producing the standard expected of a Test-match side. After another collapse at Lord's, Vaughan compared the current Pakistan batting unit to a second-division county lineup.Pakistan were bowled out for just 110 in their first innings of the second Test, adding to the disappointment of their innings-and-53-run defeat in the series opener. Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, Vaughan questioned whether Pakistan's batters were capable of putting enough pressure on England's bowlers.England vs Pakistan, 2nd Test Day 2: Highlights | Scorecard"But this is Pakistan batting. Is it second division county cricket? There's no way that they are batting in any standard to say that, that is a Test match batting lineup," Vaughan said. The comparison came after Pakistan's top order once again failed to provide England with a serious challenge. Babar Azam, returning to the side after injury, scored only eight, while Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan also departed in single figures.Azan Awais offered the most resistance with 46, but Pakistan's total left England with a huge advantage and their bowlers with little reason to ease off.WHY VAUGHAN MADE THE COMPARISON Vaughan's criticism was not directed at England's bowling, which he felt had been impressive, but at the lack of resistance from Pakistan's batting."You're not going to get hurt. There's no batter that's going to hurt them. No one's going to damage their figures, and it's really, 'roll up, roll up, who wants to get the wickets?'," he said.Vaughan suggested England's bowlers can attack relentlessly because Pakistan are unlikely to make them pay for taking risks."I think they all know that Pakistan aren't going to get big scores. So you're only going to be out there for 40 to 50 overs, so you give everything in every spell, you keep going to Joe Root saying, 'Err, I'll bowl another one.' There are so many wickets out there," he said.He also warned that England's attack could trouble stronger batting sides if it maintains the same level."It's so easy. They're still doing a good job, and they're still looking very threatening. And I think this bowling attack, the way they're bowling, will challenge better batting lineups if they continue in this fashion," Vaughan added.PAKISTAN'S CHAOTIC ENGLAND TOURThe batting collapse is only one part of a difficult England tour for Pakistan. The Lord's Test has also been overshadowed by the dispute surrounding Sky Sports' interview with Kasim and Sulaiman Khan, the sons of former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan.The PCB reportedly threatened to withdraw Pakistan from the Test and potentially the remainder of the tour if Sky Sports aired the interview, which focused on Imran Khan's health and treatment in prison. The interview was eventually broadcast, while Pakistan returned to the field and continued playing.Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed later said he and his players were unaware of the reported threat, insisting that their focus was on the match.The cricket itself has offered Pakistan little relief. England finished Day 2 on 81/3 in their second innings, extending their lead to 261 runs. Pakistan are already 1-0 down in the three-Test series and now face a huge task to prevent another defeat at Lord's.The contrast between England's dominant bowling and Pakistan's fragile batting has therefore become the defining feature of the tour so far, giving Vaughan's "second division county cricket" assessment an especially brutal edge.- EndsPublished By: Debodinna ChakrabortyPublished On: Aug 29, 2026 08:37 IST