Pakistan travelled to England in the Summer of 2010 for a 4 match Test series with the hopes of recording a historic win away from home. It ended in heartbreak however, as the hosts clinched the series 3 - 1. It was a well fought series, with England racing to a 2 - 0 lead after the first two Tests. The Pakistanis, however, came roaring back and clinched the 3rd Test. England bounced back to recrod an emphatic victory in the fourth and final match to win the series.
From that point on, the entire series was enveloped in a cloud of controversy. The ICC banned three players - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir for their role in the incident. Mohammad Amir, who was a 18 year old at the stage, has since made a return to the Pakistan squad.
Amir is back after having served a prison sentence as well as a five-year ban from the game for bowling deliberate no-balls at the fourth Test in Lord's during the 2010 series. He was cleared to play domestic cricket in Pakistan in January last year and made his international return in a Twenty20 win over New Zealand in January 2016.
6 years on, we look at a list of players who were part of their respective squads in 2010 that will be playing this series as well:
1) Azhar Ali
Pakistan will be looking at the solid top-order batsman to get them off to good starts against the English bowlers. Over the years, he has been known for his technique, he is patient at the crease and he will certainly be tested in the English conditions.
Back in 2010, he made a tough time adjusting to the swing and the pace and struggled largely. The first two Tests were especially forgettable as he got dismissed for a duck twice. He was spectacular in the third Test however, scoring an unbeaten 92 that helped Pakistan 75 run lead after the first innings.
Since then, his game has grown leaps and bounds and he holds an average of over 40 in both Tests and ODIs. He is the captain for the ODI team as well.
| Test stats | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s | High score |
| 2010 Eng v Pak | 4 | 152 | 21.71 | 0 | 0 | 92* |
| Career | 45 | 3427 | 43.37 | 9 | 20 | 226 |
Wahab Riaz will be one of the few Pakistani cricketers who will return to England with fond memories of the previous series, having made his Test debut at The Oval 6 years ago. His pace always poses a threat to the batsmen and should enjoy a good series.
Back in 2010, he burst onto the scene in his debut, taking a five-for as the English batsmen were caught out by his pace. Having made his debut in the third Test, he only got to bowl two other times and picked up a wicket in each innings.
Since then, he hasn’t reached the heights that he would have wished for. Plagued by inconsistency, he has been in and out of the team. He will be hoping to hold down a place in the team after a strong performance in England.
| Test stats | Matches | Wickets | Average | 5w | 10w | Best figures |
| 2010 Eng v Pak | 2 | 7 | 27.85 | 1 | 0 | 5/63 |
| Career | 15 | 43 | 34.16 | 1 | 0 | 5/63 |
3) Mohammad Amir
Make no mistake about it, all eyes will be on Mohammad Amir as he returns to England 6 years after the ignominy of the spot-fixing scandal he found himself the centre of. Undoubtedly one of the most talented bowlers the world has seen recently, he should thrive in English conditions.
Back in 2010, he was the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan with 19 wickets. He recorded two five-for and picked up 6 wickets in the 3rd Test to lead his side to a win. What followed was the disgrace of the spot-fixing scandal.
Since his return, Amir has been a man on a mission picking up wickets aplenty. He looks like a player who hasn’t skipped a beat. He recently marked his return to first-class cricket in England by picking up 3 wickets against Somerset.
| Test stats | Matches | Wickets | Average | 5w | 10w | Best figures |
| 2010 Eng v Pak | 4 | 19 | 18.36 | 2 | 0 | 6/84 |
| Career | 14 | 51 | 29.09 | 3 | 0 | 6/84 |
The England captain is a superstar in world cricket today - the youngest player to score 10,000 Test runs, beating the record held earlier by Sachin Tendulkar. He thrives in England and would look to lead his side with impressive performances at the top.
In 2010, the left-handed opener went about his job with diligence, supporting his skipper Andrew Strauss at the top. The highlight of the tour for him was a 100 in the second innings of the 3rd Test, as he looked to put runs on the board for his team. The runs would go in vain as Pakistan went on to win the game.
Since then, Alastair Cook has gone from strength to strength, affirming his place as one of the best batsmen in the world.
| Test stats | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s | High score |
| 2010 Eng v Pak | 4 | 167 | 23.85 | 1 | 0 | 110 |
| Career | 129 | 10176 | 46.89 | 28 | 48 | 294 |
5) James Anderson
James Anderson is almost unplayable at home nowadays, forming a very formidable bowling partnership with Stuart Broad that has ensured that the English side have seen plenty of success in recent years. He recently overtook Ian Botham as England’s highest wicket-taker.
In 2010, the series belonged to James Anderson as he ended as the highest wicket-taker with 23 at a frightening average of 13.73. The highlight of the series was a 10 wicket haul in the first Test to put Pakistan on the back-foot.
Since then, James Anderson has broken records across the globe. He is currently the third highest wicket-taker among seamers in Test cricket, behind only Glenn McGrath and Courtney Walsh.
| Test stats | Matches | Wickets | Average | 5w | 10w | Best figures |
| 2010 Eng v Pak | 4 | 23 | 13.73 | 2 | 1 | 6/17 |
| Career | 116 | 454 | 28.33 | 21 | 3 | 7/43 |
6) Stuart Broad
Has proven to be the perfect supporting act for James Anderson, the fast bowling pair have taken the second most wickets among them, behind only Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose. He has also taken the 2nd most wickets in the past decade.
In 2010, Broad had a remarkable all-round series as he contributed with both the bat and the ball for his team. He ended as the second highest run scorer and the fourth highest wicket-taker with 14. He recorded his only Test century in his career in the 4th Test as his team went on to win by an innings and 225 runs.
Since then, Broad has been a constant in the England team. He is nearing two landmarks in his career, as he is 6 Tests away from playing his 100th Test and Ian Botham’s wicket haul is now within his sights.
| Test stats | Matches | Wickets | Average | 5w | 10w | Best figures |
| 2010 Eng v Pak | 4 | 14 | 23.35 | 0 | 0 | 4/38 |
| Career | 94 | 345 | 28.52 | 15 | 2 | 8/15 |
The lanky 6 ft 7 inch Steven Finn always seemed like one who was destined for greatness, with his potential being realised at an early age. He made his Test debut just a few months before the Pakistan series, and went on to perform well.
In 2010, he took 13 wickets in the 4 Tests and was the perfect supporting act to a strong English bowling setup. He bowled significantly fewer overs than the others, but managed to pick up wickets whenever he was introduced.
Since then, Finn has been in and out from the England setup. His career was at the lowest point during the 2013-2014 season when his knee had a habit of crashing the stumps, causing a no ball. Since then, he has worked hard to remodel his action and bounce back. He has had a good strike-rate throughout his career and will hope to put in a strong showing this series.
| Test stats | Matches | Wickets | Average | 5w | 10w | Best figures |
| 2010 Eng v Pak | 4 | 13 | 22.92 | 0 | 0 | 3/22 |
| Career | 32 | 120 | 28.33 | 5 | 0 | 6/79 |
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