Defeatist England depart safely

Cricket: A safe take-off from Karachi airport this morning and the England and Wales Cricket Board will dare to conclude this was a job well done. England, with the backing of a concerted security operation, will have honoured their obligation to fulfil a one-day fixture in Karachi. There may even be a handshake or two.

The Pakistanis are happy and there is every chance of a little pat on the back on behalf of the British Government. In political terms, this was a success. As a reaffirmation of cricket's fraternity, and the subduing of fears about potential terrorist violence, it deserved full marks. As a cricket performance, however, it was unremittingly dreadful.

Pakistan's 353-6 was the highest one-day score England have ever conceded; that, after Marcus Trescothick had put them in, in search of early swing.

The defeat by 165 runs equalled England's highest-losing margin. It looked like England out there, although conceivably Green Hammerton seconds could have been instructed by the Foreign Office to act as doubles.

England were insipid and predictable with the ball, weak-willed and defeatist with the bat. A city that had anticipated with relish the arrival of The Mighty England, conquerors of Australia, instead witnessed the arrival of Rag-Tag England, a one-day side whose odds for next year's World Cup lengthened by the minute.

"We have not improved in the one-day games like we have in the Tests," said Trescothick, England's stand-in captain. "It is something we have to address. Generally, it is away from home we hit this problem. It may be the mental side of the game or the way we approach situations."

It is also a problem of personnel. Without Kevin Pietersen, and with Trescothick suffering another late-tour lull, England's batting line-up is short of flair on flat pitches. Steve Harmison, the world's number one fast bowler little more than a year ago, seems incapable of providing a lead if the surfaces do not offer him the steep bounce he relishes. As for spin, England had only one regular slow bowler, Ian Blackwell, and Trescothick inexplicably gave him only five overs.

Pakistan's pride in their own wicketkeeper batsman emphasises how Geraint Jones, too, has failed to continue his batting advances of the summer. Kamran Akmal began the Test series quietly, but his third century in a fortnight has surely ensured the era of those two veterans, Moin Khan and Rashid Latif, is now over.

Kamran began with 154 in the third Test in Lahore, then followed up with 102 on the same ground in the second one-day international.

Yesterday, he struck 109 from 111 balls, another ebullient innings, replete with crackerjack drives on the up through the off side, a shot that has become a trademark. A stocky, innocent-faced lad who looks younger than his 23 years, he has satisfied Pakistan's urge for a wicketkeeper-batsman of quality.

Paul Collingwood fluffed a return catch when Kamran was 69 - concentrating on slowing his pace, Collingwood also slowed his reactions - and a pull shot barely cleared Harmison at short midwicket, but they were his only blemishes. He was cheered off, though this being Pakistan, not as loudly as Shahid Afridi was cheered on. In Afridi, 31 from 14 balls, Pakistan have a batsman of whirring destruction; in Abdul Razzaq, 51 not out from 22 balls, a devastating hitter of more earthbound talent.

Both deepened England's hurt. A banner in the crowd - "England security is now on high alert as terrorist Afridi is in the middle" - waved in a jubilant stand.

Flintoff, forever persistent, suffered an outrageous lash straight for six.

Mohammad Yousuf, an elegant accumulator, disdains the slog. He did England a service by running Afridi out; he later threatened to do the same to Inzamam, only to be run out himself. It was as if Inzy had been tipped off. There is just a glimmer of selfishness in Yousuf and, on both occasions, the brilliance of Collingwood at backward point made him pay.

But that just hastened the arrival of Razzaq, who had too much nous, first for Liam Plunkett, then for James Anderson. The 44th over, from Plunkett, went for 21; the 47th, from Anderson, for 23, including a six that crashed into the roof of the midwicket stand before rolling slowly, mockingly, on to the crowd below. It took Flintoff to remind both about the art of the blockhole ball.

On England's innings, there is no cause to dwell. Pakistan were efficient, but unspectacular. England, a put-upon Flintoff apart, crumbled. They batted their supersub Ian Bell at number nine, and his unbeaten 37 provided an antiseptic wipe on a gaping wound. How sad was that?