Vaughan issues Abbas warning for England side

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has issued Mohammad Abbas warning for the hosts claiming that he would not have been able to sleep at all if his going to be facing Pakistan pacer on tricky Southampton pitch.

The former batsman stated that the pitch would be highly supportive for Abbas with his ability to maneuver the ball in both directions.

“I think there can be a result because the pitch is doing plenty. It is a classic English Test match style wicket. There is a green tinge and plenty of seam movement. When you have Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Abbas it is going to be very tough,” Vaughan told Cricbuzz. “This pitch has Mohammad Abbas written all over it. He is going to love it on a length. He is going to wobble it either way.”

“I said last week, I would have had nightmares facing him at Old Trafford. I would not even be able to sleep a wink knowing I am facing Abbas tomorrow morning on this deck,” he added.

The 45-year-old, who represented England in 82 Tests, 86 One Day Internationals (ODI) and two Twenty20 internationals (T20I) praised Mohammad Rizwan for putting up a great show in tough England conditions, which helped Pakistan cross 200-run mark on day-two on Friday.

“He [Rizwan] has got that spirit and fire. I like anyone who can give chirp and take it. He matches up the opposition chirps with skills, determination and discipline. All of a sudden, Babar was out and he had to start to get the scoreboard ticking. He hit some magnificent strokes. He has got that mentality and the temperament for this kind of level. We are going to see him for a long period of time. This score is a decent on this surface,” he said.