Amir, Yasir need support from other bowlers, feels Mickey Arthur

At the end of an attritional Day 3 at Edgbaston in Birmingham, hosts England seized control of the all-important third Test, with Alastair Cook and Alex Hales putting on an unbeaten 120-run stand for the opening wicket to lead Pakistan by 17 runs. Pakistan bowlers couldn't be at their incisive best and replicate their effectiveness from the first essay, as England got valuable runs on the board without a loss of a wicket.


Only Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah, with identical figures of none for 28 in 11 overs, tested the England duo but couldn't breakthrough, while Sohail Khan, who returned figures of 5 for 96 in the first essay, showed signs of fatigue, and bowled just eight overs in the second innings on Friday.

"It is a real concern. He's (Sohail Khan) got to back up. I thought he bowled exceptionally well in the first innings but the key is you've got to do it both innings. Mohammad Amir bowled outstandingly well. Yasir did the same. We just need a little bit of support for those two," Arthur said on Friday (August 5).

Pakistan's batting came a cropper in their humbling defeat at Old Trafford, but the coach was pleased with what he saw on Thursday, when Sami Aslam and Azhar Ali added 181 runs for the second wicket.

"That was real Test batting from Sami (Aslam) and Azhar (Ali)," Arthur said. "The lessons we've learnt from the tour, they were all put into place. They left well, they made England bowl at them."

While Azhar's impressed with 139, his first Test century outside Asia, it was the 20-year-old Aslam who caught his coach's eye with a vital contribution of 82.

"Sami played outstandingly well for a young boy. He hasn't had many opportunities this tour, but he's worked so hard in the nets, he's trained the house down," Arthur said.