Saqib Mahmood took two wickets in the opening over of the first one-day international at Cardiff on Thursday to spark a Pakistan collapse to 26-4 in seven overs as a new-look England put their Covid crisis behind them.
England were fielding an entirely new XI after a coronavirus outbreak within their existing squad during a recent 2-0 series win at home to Sri Lanka meant those originally selected to play against Pakistan were forced to self-isolate.
Their team for the first of this three-match series featured five debutants, with fit-again all-rounder Ben Stokes leading the side in place of Eoin Morgan.
After Stokes won the toss, Mahmood had Imam-ul-Haq lbw with the first ball of the match after a review ordered by Stokes confirmed the ball had pitched in line.
Two balls later, Pakistan captain Babar Azam — the world’s top-ranked ODI batsman — also fell for a duck when he edged to Zak Crawley at second slip, with the tourists then 0-2.
Mohammad Rizwan had made 13 when he edged a superb, late-moving, delivery from Lewis Gregory to debutant wicketkeeper John Simpson.
And when Lancashire quick Mahmood had Pakistan debutant Saud Shakeel lbw for five with a ball that angled in, he’d taken 3-21 in four overs.