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Vaughan backs Pakistan to 'surprise' teams during World Test Championship

Former England cricketer believed the Men in Green would be very hard to beat particularly in familiar conditions

Vaughan backs Pakistan to 'surprise' teams during World Test Championship PHOTO: Reuters

England’s former cricketer-turned-commentator Michael Vaughan, in an interview with Cricbuzz on Wednesday, backed Pakistan to surprise teams during the ongoing World Test Championship.

The former cricketer believed that the Men in Green would be very hard to beat particularly in familiar conditions such as Pakistan and the UAE.

“I just wonder whether that last day at Manchester is going to hurt them [Pakistan] because they are an exciting team. They are going to surprise a few teams particularly when they are playing in their own conditions or in the UAE. I think they are going to be very difficult to beat because all their players look like they have got a little bit of something about them. They have got a great deal of character,” Vaughan said.

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The 45-year-old claimed that he enjoyed watching the Pakistan side perform during the ongoing series against England while praising the Men in Green’s skills and determination.

“I really enjoyed watching them even though we didn’t get a great deal of play in the second Test. I thought they showed skill, determination and lots of attrition with the bat. This is not generally what I have seen from Pakistan in English conditions particularly when the ball is zipping around. They have always been fine when it has been flat but when the ball has been swinging around, I have always felt that the batting unit could collapse in a heap,” he said.

“In that second Test I thought they showed great determination and skill. You have got Misbahul Haq, Younis Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis in the coaching department; it is no surprise that they are showing all the strong traits of a good side,” he added.