Pakistan has finally ended their winless streak at home with a commanding 152-run victory over England in the second Test at Multan Cricket Stadium, marking their first home win since 2021. This victory not only lifted the spirits of the Shan Masood-led team but also brought relief after a difficult period in Test cricket, where the team had struggled to secure victories on home soil.

After 24 matches since their last home triumph, Pakistan’s eight wins had mostly come against teams like Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and West Indies, while enduring 12 losses to stronger sides such as Australia and England.

Shan Masood, speaking about the team’s performance, expressed his pride in their collective effort. 

Reflecting on the challenge faced by Kamran Ghulam, who replaced Babar Azam in the squad, Masood said: “I think for Kami (Kamran Ghulam), it’s never easy when you’re replacing one of the best batters in the world. I read some things that were horrid even before he played his first Test match, so I can’t even imagine the pressure someone can be under, but we were all behind him. From the get-go, he seemed like he belonged. To get that century, that was special.”

The match saw Pakistan taking charge from the start, posting 366 runs in their first innings. England responded with 291 runs, trailing by 75 runs. The bowling unit, led by Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, was the driving force behind Pakistan's success. Sajid Khan’s exceptional performance, claiming seven wickets in the first innings and two more in the second, earned him the Player of the Match award.

Reflecting on the balance between spin-friendly and other types of pitches, Masood added: "We cannot prepare spin pitches on every venue. Pakistan has to take up the challenge to play on both batting and bowling pitches."

The second innings saw Salman Ali Agha contribute significantly with a solid 63, helping Pakistan post 221 runs. England's batting, however, crumbled early in their second innings, with Zak Crawley falling for just three runs and Ben Duckett being dismissed for a duck by Sajid Khan. England could not recover from the early collapse, handing Pakistan a well-deserved victory.

Masood also praised Salman Ali Agha’s contributions.

“(Salman Ali) Agha is probably one of my favorite players, he’s a team player - he’s Pakistan all in. For him to play in those pressure situations and get something for the team, that’s special. There have been some front runners (Noman and Sajid) but there have also been some really nice small contributions - even Saim Ayub, who played very nicely in the 1st innings and even the 20-odd in the 2nd innings. Everything added up, and that’s what a team effort is," he concluded.