Pakistan draw final warm-up match against Leicestershire

LONDON: A two-day warm-up game between Pakistan and Leicestershire was ended in a draw as the Midlands county finished on 226 for six in reply to Pakistan's first innings 321 for nine declared.

Pakistan failed to dismiss Leicestershire, a Second Division county, may be regarded as disappointing but tor fixtures are a notoriously unreliable guide to how a team will perform in Test matches.

It is only two years ago since Pakistan, albeit with now retired batsmen Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan in the side, drew a four-Test series in England 2-2.

They also upset the odds to beat arch-rivals India in the final of last year's Champions Trophy one-day tournament at The Oval in London.

That 2016 series also saw the now injured Yasir Shah play a key role and the performance of the leg-spinner's teenage replacement Shadab Khan could now have an important bearing on this year's shortened campaign.

Pakistan look likely to stick with the same side that beat Ireland with England, who failed to win a single one out of seven Test during their recent tours of Australia and New Zealand, recalling talented ball-striker Jos Buttler to a reshaped batting line-up.