The Dutch government has banned all sports and cultural events until September 1 as part of measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Pakistan were meant to be play three ODIs in Amstelveen on July 4, 7 and 9, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Wednesday that the tour has been shelved.
As things stand Pakistan are due to play two Twenty20 matches in Ireland, before starting a three-Test series against England at Lord's on July 30, which precedes three T20 fixtures.
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said via a news release that the tour is still on as things stand.
"It is sad that we have to postpone our July tour to the Netherlands, but in the prevailing circumstances, this is absolutely the right thing to do as human lives are far more precious and valuable than a cricket match or an event," he said.
"Netherlands has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and we offer our heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost their lives. Like any other country, the PCB stands firmly with the KNCB and hope they will be able to overcome this crisis.
"The Pakistan national cricket teams have always enjoyed touring the Netherlands and as soon as things return to normal, the PCB will engage with the KNCB to reschedule the tour so that we can fulfil our obligation.
"The Pakistan national men's cricket team's tours to Ireland, for two Twenty20 Internationals, and England, for three Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals, are on track at this stage.
"We are keeping a watching brief and are in contact with our counterparts in Dublin and London, respectively.
"As is always the case, the PCB will be happy to be guided by the hosts on the upcoming tours but without compromising on the health and safety of its players and team support personnel."
Pakistan are due to start a three-match Test series against England at Lord's on July 30, with three Twenty20 Internationals also on the schedule.
Yet there are doubts over whether the tour will be staged due to the coronavirus crisis, with spectators highly unlikely to be allowed into venues if matches can go ahead.
PCB chiefs and the counterparts at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will hold talks on Friday.
Wasim Khan, the chief executive of the PCB, says there will be no rush to make such a big decision, with Pakistan's trip to the Netherlands already having been postponed.
He told reporters: "Health and safety is paramount for our players and officials and we are not going to compromise on it.
"The situation in England is poor right now, and we will ask them about their plans. We are not making any decisions, but we will assess and decide in the next three to four weeks.
"This isn't an easy situation, and it isn't an easy decision to make, because things are changing every day in England. There are so many things to be considered - flights, hotels and they are talking about bio-security stadiums… so if people ask me, I will tell them to wait and be patient.
"The longer they stay there, the more our players will be exposed. So there is speculation that the tour might be extended, but I can confirm that this is presently not on the table.
"The West Indies tour to England is also uncertain, and we don't know what to expect. So we are looking forward to the May 15 meeting and will see what are the options."
Khan stressed that will not be influenced by whether England are prepared to make a long-awaited return for a tour of Pakistan when they make their decision.
He added: "It's a tough situation for everyone right now, and I don't think it's fair to take advantage of the situation.
"The most important thing for us is to revive the game for all countries. If we don't, we will be facing a lot of problems going forward.
"The next 12 months will be tough for cricket financially. Thankfully, the PCB is fine for the next 12 months but thereafter, in 18 months' time, we will also have problems.
"Hopefully, by then, cricket will resume and I don't think we are going to take our discussion with the ECB [with a tour of Pakistan a big factor], but we will definitely talk about it when we tour them.
"Look, the MCC toured Pakistan, an Australia delegation came as well, so there is no reason why England and Australia shouldn't be here in 2021 and 2022."
That was the message on Wednesday from Clare Connor, director of women's cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), saying it was "a hit we might have to take".
Former England all-rounder Connor is realistic about the possibility of the women's team being unable to play a full programme of internationals, given the coronavirus pandemic could mean available and safe venues for cricket are limited.
And with men's broadcast deals so lucrative, particularly at a time when behind-closed-doors games are emerging as a best-case scenario, it is set to be the England teams skippered by Joe Root and Eoin Morgan that are prioritised by the ECB.
ECB chief executive Tom Harrison this week told a UK government Digital, Culture, Media and Sport panel the organisation risked losing up to £380million this year due to the COVID-19 effect.
Connor, quoted widely by UK media on Wednesday, said: "If the international women's schedule can't be fulfilled in full but a large amount of the international men's programme can this summer, which is going to reduce that £380million hole, we have to be realistic about that.
"In order for the whole game to survive, the financial necessity rests upon many of those international men's matches being fulfilled."
She added: "If we have to play less international women's cricket this summer to safeguard the longer-term future and investment and building the infrastructure for a more stable and sustainable women's game, then that is probably a hit we might have to take."
Connor stressed she would be "devastated" if England cannot play any international women's cricket during the coming months.
A June-July series against India must be reorganised because cricket in England has been suspended until July 1 at the earliest, while South Africa's women are due to tour in September.
Connor said: "But we're only going to have a few venues, if any, in operation and if that ends up being two bio-secure environments or three, there's only a certain number of days to try to cram everything into."
The announcement of the positive results on Tuesday came a day after three others from Misbah-ul-Haq's squad were confirmed as having COVID-19.
All 10 infected players have been ordered to self-isolate and will stay at home when the rest depart on a chartered flight, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.
England and Pakistan are due to play three Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals from the end of July until September.
The PCB said the latest seven players to test positive were Fakhar Zaman, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan and Wahab Riaz, along with masseur Malang Ali.
In a statement, the PCB said its medical panel was "already in contact with these players and the masseur, who have been instructed to observe strict quarantine at their homes for their and their families' wellbeing".
None showed any symptoms before being tested, the PCB added. They must each produce two negative test results before being allowed to travel to England to join up with the squad.
Ashley Giles, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) director of men's cricket, had said the first three positive tests were "a concern".
Players and staff who have tested negative will gather in Lahore on Wednesday before undergoing a further round of coronavirus testing on Thursday. More tests will be conducted by the ECB once the squad arrives in England.
PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said: "The tour to England is very much on track and the side will depart as per schedule on June 28.
"Fortunately, all the first-choice red-ball squad, barring Mohammad Rizwan, are negative, which means they can start training and practicing immediately after they have been tested and given the all-clear when they arrive in England.
"In the meantime, Misbah-ul-Haq is reviewing the training schedule in England and firming up plans for reserve players to be tested as a back-up."
The Windies had originally been due to face England in three Tests, at The Oval, Edgbaston and Lord's, but that series – originally slated to begin next week – was postponed in April amid the coronavirus pandemic.
However, CWI and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have been in discussions about the tour taking place in July at Old Trafford and the Rose Bowl, which have hotels attached to the stadiums.
That would ensure the travelling party can remain at the same location where Tests would be played behind closed doors.
A statement from CWI said: "CWI's management is now in the process of seeking to put all of the approvals and logistics in place within the Caribbean, including seeking permission from the various national governments to facilitate the movement of players and support staff, using private charter planes and conducting medical screenings and individual COVID-19 testing for all members of the touring party."
It has been proposed that the West Indies squad would fly to England in the week beginning June 8, a full month before the opening Test.
On Friday, England named a 55-man squad which will commence group training sessions, subject to government approval.
The Warwickshire player had a spell in the nets at Edgbaston on Thursday, with professional cricket attempting to slowly get back up and running amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Woakes, 31, had to follow strict guidance on social distancing and admitted the experience "was a lot different" to a usual session.
"But with what everyone's been through, it was nice to get out there and get the ball back in hand really," he said.
"It's been two months since I last bowled. It was nice to be back in the middle, albeit a little different."
The 2019 World Cup winner admitted to feeling "a little bit sore this morning".
"The first waddle to the toilet was a bit interesting," Woakes said. "But it's okay, the body actually is not too bad.
"But having not bowled for two months there were a few things that were sore - sides certainly.
"I woke up this morning knowing I'd had a bowl yesterday, but it was nice to be out there."
It remains to be seen what cricket Woakes might have to play this summer, with England's planned home series against West Indies, Pakistan and Australia hinging on a variety of factors.
Those teams will want to be certain measures are in place that will safeguard the health of their touring parties.
"First and foremost, we just hope there's going to be some sort of cricket," Woakes said.
"That will be obviously very different but at the same time it'd be nice to have some cricket and some form of normality.
"Hopefully we can get some games - what that schedule will exactly look like we don't really know."
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is hoping international series can be salvaged, with income from lucrative broadcast contracts providing a valuable backbone of the game.
Woakes added: "Obviously it would be a boost for the game. We've all seen the projections [saying] the ECB and the game in general could be in a bit of trouble if we weren't to play any cricket this summer, so hopefully we can get some form of schedule going."
Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the England Cricket Board (ECB) have been trying to find a work-around so as not to delay the start of the three-Test series set to begin on June 4 at the Kia Oval.
COVID-19 cases are expected to peak in the United Kingdom in June, making it almost a certainty that the start of the English domestic season will be delayed.
The Caribbean, if it continues to remain relatively COVID-19 free, could become third-party hosts for other series, reportedly offering to provide the venues for England’s home fixtures against Pakistan in July.
There is also the possibility that the tour of England could be put off until September, after the West Indies host New Zealand in three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals from July 8 to July 19 and after South Africa visit for two Tests and five T20Is scheduled for July 23-August 16.
A delay could also mean that the Hero Caribbean Premier League could be pushed back all the way until December.
The Warwickshire left-hander was called up after wicketkeeper Cox broke his right thumb in the nets during England’s warm-up game.
As such, England’s usual number three, Ollie Pope, will take the role of wicketkeeper and drop down the batting order to number six.
While Bethell has eight ODI caps and seven T20 caps for England, he was a shock choice for the Test squad, but one Joe Root is excited to see.
"The way his game sets up suits Test cricket. I'm really looking forward to watching him go out there and play. It's a really exciting time for him,” Root told BBC Sport.
"I've known him and his family for a long time. I saw him play when he was 11 or 12 years old and I could tell then he was already a very accomplished player.
“It's been really pleasing seeing him grow up, make his way at Warwickshire, then more recently in the white-ball stuff show everyone what a brilliant player he is.
"This is a great opportunity for him, a blank canvas in a position where he can really put influence on the game. He can just go play, enjoy it, and I expect him to do just that."
Root himself will become the fourth Englishman to reach 150 tests at fourth in the order, while Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will open the batting.
England will hope to overturn poor test form, having lost their last series 2-1 in Pakistan. They have been defeated in three of their previous four Tests.
England XI for first Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir.
Just like on day one, the tourists struggled in the field as Pakistan racked up an impressive total of 556, before overcoming setbacks to steady the ship late in the day.
England were unable to build on their strong finish to day one, which saw them take three late wickets to halt Pakistan at 328-4, but Brydon Carse (2-74) got a wicket on his debut to end Naseem Shah's stand of 33.
Saud Shakeel's 82 put the hosts further out of reach, but it was Salman Ali Agha's unbeaten 104 off 119 balls that kept the momentum firmly with Pakistan, though it almost turned out differently.
Chris Woakes made a spectacular boundary catch with Salman on 15, but it was ruled not out as Woakes was judged to have stepped beyond the rope, denying England a chance to drop the hosts to 420-7.
Though England at one point took four wickets for 76 runs, it did little to end the onslaught, and they finished Pakistan's innings on a low note as opener Ben Duckett hurt his thumb taking the catch on the final wicket.
Ollie Pope then opened in his place, but the stand-in captain was taken for a duck on just his second ball.
However, Crawley (64 not out) and Root (32 not out) managed to calm any nerves as they reached stumps at 96-1, though they still trail by 460 runs.
Data Debrief: Pakistan race out of the blocks again
After making a flying start on day one, Pakistan caught England out with a similar tactic on Tuesday, adding 64 to the fifth wicket before Naseem was made to walk.
Jack Leach (3-160) was the pick of England's bowlers as they struggled in the heat, but for the most part, the tourists had no answers as Salman became the third centurion in the Test so far.
They will be hoping Crawley and Root can continue defying Pakistan with their stand on day three, with the latter now just 39 runs away from overtaking Alistair Cook as England's all-time leading run-scorer.
Crawley had reached his maiden international hundred on the opening day at the Rose Bowl and was raising his bat again at the venue on Saturday.
Aged 22 years and 201 days, he is the youngest Englishman to reach 200 in the format since David Gower, who achieved the feat against India in 1979 at 22 years and 102 days.
Only the great Len Hutton (22 years and 58 days) and the elegant Gower have made double hundreds for England at a younger age than Crawley, who had resumed in the morning on 171.
Jos Buttler completed his second Test century, albeit only after using a review to survive on 99 having been given out caught behind.
The wicketkeeper-batsman combined with number three Crawley to put on a new record fifth-wicket stand for England against any opposition.
Crawley and Buttler surpassed the previous best of 254 set by Keith Fletcher and Tony Greig against India in 1973, taking England beyond 400 for the loss of just four wickets and well on course to win the series.
Crawley was dropped for parts of a year that saw him register just 173 runs at an average of 10.81.
A 77 in Sydney against Australia in January helped England to salvage draw in the fourth Ashes Test and avoid a series whitewash.
Crawley, who turned 24 this month, is hoping to build on that as England play West Indies in three Test matches with a new-look group after eight players were dropped.
"No, I didn't fear it was finished," Crawley told Sky Sports when asked if he was worried about his Test career. "I knew I was young and I always believed in myself.
"It was a horrible year last year in terms of the stats, but I thought it was a bit misleading actually – I felt like I was a bit unlucky with conditions in some places when I got a chance.
"So now when conditions are hopefully in my favour I need to make sure I cash in and make up for that
"You learn a lot more from your failures than your successes and I learned an awful lot about myself last year.
"I think I'm a lot better player for it – there are no certainties in life but I feel good about my game at the moment and hopefully I’ll score good runs in this series
"It still wasn't the runs I wanted but the way that I played [against Australia], I was pleased with. It's given me a platform to kick on from. I feel I understand my game a lot more now, after having a tough year.
"You create your own luck. Obviously, people trusted in me again and I'm looking to repay them and score a lot of runs for them this year and for England in general.
"I think we're going to have a good year and hopefully I can be a big part of that."
The first Test at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium starts on March 8.
England will be led by interim coach Paul Collingwood after Chris Silverwood was dismissed in the wake of the 4-0 Ashes loss.
"There's a lot of excitement about this series, we're loving being here in the Caribbean – it's a great place to travel to and play," added Crawley.
"We're really looking forward to the series and we're a positive group at the moment.
"It's pretty easy [to put the Ashes behind you]. We know what when wrong, we've analysed what we did wrong and we're looking to move forwards now.
"You learn a lot in general from losing actually and it gives you a chance to bounce back strongly. I think we will during this series and in the coming year."
England recovered from 2-0 down against Australia to draw the five-match series 2-2 and may have even forced a famous victory had the weather not intervened in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.
Crawley scored a magnificent 189 from 182 balls in that Manchester contest and finished the series as England's top scorer with 480 runs at an impressive 53.33 average.
Having also hit fifties at Edgbaston and The Oval, Crawley is now established at the top of the order after what had been a mixed start to his Test career.
Prior to this summer, the 25-year-old averaged just 27.60 and had only produced 10 scores of 50+ across his first 61 innings in the longest format.
Gower, who with 3,037 runs is England's second-highest run-scorer in Ashes history, hopes the opener has turned the corner.
"Look at the way Zak Crawley batted – for the last three years he has been an enigma," Gower said to Stats Perform.
"You look at the man thinking he has got enormous talent. You look at the way he hits the ball and you think this man must make thousands of runs. And yet, he's averaging 20-odd.
"Suddenly, in this series, that style has been proven to be worthy.
"The trick for Zak Crawley now would be to carry on doing that wherever else he plays in the world and hopefully the lesson will have stuck.
"There are ways he can do that because he did change his game slightly, he did become more nuanced in the way he approached the opening overs of an innings.
"So people do learn as they go. This is the great thing – people learn throughout their careers and you have never nailed it for sure. You are learning each and every day that you are out there.
"Zak Crawley certainly contended to be a player of the series, I think that was a revelation."
Gower felt it was difficult to select a player of the series, with Chris Woakes ultimately winning the award despite not playing in every match.
The former England captain added: "It is always hard picking a player of a series when you've seen so many performances. The official result was Chris Woakes, who came in to play only three Test matches.
"What was interesting to me was that, for all the preparation and all the planning, things fell into place – not entirely by accident, but by circumstance – with Ollie Pope having to be left out because of injury.
"So the balance of the team changed, Woakes and [Mark] Wood came in and the Woakes-Wood partnership actually seemed to make a huge difference to England.
"Wood's pace at Leeds was very much the difference. And Woakes [made an impact] mainly with the ball and a little bit with the bat as well.
"Woakes just had a series that he will savour for a long, long time."
England do not return to Test action until January 2024, when they will travel to India for a five-match series.
They will now turn their attention to retaining the Cricket World Cup. The latest edition of the 50-over tournament starts in October.
Anderson bowed out of international cricket last week, featuring for the final time as England thrashed West Indies at Lord's.
The 41-year-old took four wickets, taking his overall career tally to 704, while Gus Atkinson starred on his Test debut.
Anderson is now acting as a bowling mentor, and Crawley believes his former team-mate has transitioned seamlessly into his new role.
Crawley told BBC Sport: "He's going into his new role pretty seamlessly.
"It's normal and he's the same bloke.
"I always found he was really helpful to my game anyway, talking to him about how he bowled at me and certain things like that."
Mark Wood has replaced Anderson in England's bowling attack, which starts on Thursday at Trent Bridge.
Though England won the first Test by an innings and 114 runs, Crawley says they are taking nothing for granted.
"We know they're a good side," he said.
"They've got some really, really good players in that team, so we're going to have to perform well to beat them.
"We don't take anyone for granted. We have to be sharp and perform like we did at Lord's.
"It was a really good performance and we want to back that up again."
Crawley made an entertaining 53 as the hosts – who remain 1-0 up in the three-match series – reached 110-4 before declaring on day five, a move that allowed an early finish to proceedings.
The combination of bad light and rain had decimated the game to such an extent over the course of the previous four days that the chances of a positive result had long disappeared.
Only 10.2 overs had been possible on Sunday, with England losing Rory Burns for a duck as they reached 7-1 in reply to Pakistan's total of 236.
They were made to wait to continue their first innings still further, though, as Monday's action was held up by a heavy storm in the early hours that left sections of the outfield heavily saturated.
Still, when play finally began at 15:20 local time (14:20 GMT), Crawley proceeded to hit seven boundaries to post a third Test half-century before falling lbw to the excellent Mohammad Abbas.
Dom Sibley, who had shared in a second-wicket stand worth 92, also fell to the same bowler, caught down leg by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan having battled hard to reach 32.
Yasir Shah also dismissed Ollie Pope for nine but Joe Root survived some tricky moments to finish unbeaten on the same score, while Jos Buttler had not managed to get off the mark by the time the innings was cut short.
Crawley shows further promise
Returning to the XI in place of the absent Ben Stokes, who has departed the bio-secure bubble at the Rose Bowl for family reasons, Crawley offered a reminder of his talent with some eye-catching shots in a 99-ball knock. There was one slice of luck, though, as he should have been stumped on 37.
England hold slender advantage
Both teams will hope for better fortunes with the conditions when the series concludes at the same venue, with the finale beginning on Friday. A better forecast, combined with a similar pitch on the south coast, could make for an entertaining finish to England's Test schedule on home soil in 2020.
The 21-year-old won his first Test cap in New Zealand in November and made just one run, following that up with a combined 29 across two innings in Cape Town earlier this month having been recalled due to Rory Burns' injury.
England, who levelled the best-of-four series at 1-1 with that win at Newlands, won the toss and opted to bat in Port Elizabeth, with Crawley and Dom Sibley (36) helping them reach lunch 61 without loss.
Both men perished to catches at gully but after making 44 in England's 224-4, Crawley was pleased to make the most significant contribution of his short five-day career on an attritional day.
"I'm feeling more comfortable now," he said at a news conference.
"The first couple of games I was very nervous and trying to find my way and now I feel like I can trust my game a bit more.
"If I'm playing well I know my game might be good enough for this level so I've got a bit more belief in myself now. I'm learning every game.
"I learned a lot in Cape Town [from] a couple of mistakes I made. I think if I can keep learning like that eventually I can improve."
Despite a solid enough start, England's innings looked precarious when captain Joe Root (27) was bowled to leave them 148-4.
Yet Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope, unbeaten on 38 and 39 respectively, came together in an unbroken 76-run stand that left Crawley pleased with England's position in the match.
"I think it was a very good day for us in the end," he said.
"I think Popey and Stokesy played brilliantly at the end there to put us in a good position going into tomorrow.
"If we can get in the late 300s I think that would be a very good score on this pitch. It's only going to get worse from there.
"You could see it was spinning quite a bit and hopefully it goes up and down like Joe's did on day one and hopefully we can bowl well."
South Africa made the surprising decision to have Test debutant Dane Paterson share the new ball with veteran Vernon Philander.
Veteran Philander only bowled 11 overs across the day while Paterson went 0-46 from his 15 overs, with the Proteas' bowling consultant Charl Langeveldt defending the hosts' tactics.
"I think what we wanted to achieve, we achieved today," Langeveldt stressed.
"It was hard work; it's one of those wickets, it's hard to get wickets. We generally just stayed patient.
"You always look to strike, we looked to strike with the new ball.
"We just thought this morning we needed to bowl with a fuller length and that was the thought. Second innings KG [Kagiso Rabada] would take the new ball again. We need to take wickets on this wicket."
Crawley – who made his Test debut against New Zealand in Hamilton last year – was called up for the Cape Town match as a late replacement for Rory Burns, who injured his ankle while playing football in training.
The 21-year-old, opening alongside Sibley, scored four and 25 in his two innings respectively, though he took a brilliant catch on day five as Ben Stokes propelled England to a series-levelling victory.
Sibley, meanwhile, was the star in England's second innings, hitting an unbeaten 133 to put the tourists into a commanding position at Newlands.
Though Crawley acknowledged England have other options at the top of the order, he is hopeful he has done enough to earn a place in the side for the third Test, while the performance of Sibley has provided the youngster with extra motivation.
"I'm taking one game at a time," Crawley told reporters. "I'm putting all my focus on the Port Elizabeth Test now.
"Hopefully I can get a score there like Sibley did in Cape Town and follow his footsteps and shore up my place in the side. But I'm not looking too far ahead.
"I knew the night before the game that Rory would be out for a number of weeks. So there were the usual nerves. But actually I was a lot better than my debut in Hamilton, so hopefully it'll be easier next time."
Crawley's moment to remember from Cape Town, however, was certainly his wonderful reaction catch to dismiss Anrich Nortje from Stokes' fierce bowling.
"Stokes was bowling so fast," Crawley said. "And we were so close to the wicket. It was just a matter of sticking my hand out and luckily I managed to make it go up in the air and get my other hand to it.
"It was a great moment when I saw it come down. It seemed to hover in the air. It lasted a lifetime. It was unbelievable when that last wicket fell. The whole experience was the best feeling I've had on a cricket field. The crowd singing for all five days was something I'll never forget. It was brilliant.
"You just want more and more of it. I can see why so many people work hard at this level. Once you get that buzz you want it every day of the week. I can't wait for the next Test. Hopefully it's the same again."
Going into the third Test holding a 1-0 lead after rain ruined the previous encounter in Southampton, the home side were teetering when 127-4 midway through Friday's play.
However, Pakistan were unable to get another breakthrough in the remainder of proceedings, Crawley finishing up unbeaten on 171 as England progressed to 332-4 by the close.
The 22-year-old, who has made just three hundreds for Kent in his first-class career, shared an unbroken stand worth 205 with Jos Buttler, who will resume on the second morning on 87 not out.
The stunning fifth-wicket alliance completely changed the complexion of proceedings, as well as vindicating the decison by captain Joe Root to bat first.
Crawley had arrived at the crease midway through the fifth over after Rory Burns fell cheaply again, the left-handed opener edging Shaheen Afridi through to Shan Masood in the slips when on six.
Dom Sibley (22) helped add 61 for the second wicket but also departed before lunch, given out lbw to leg-spinner Yasir Shah following a successful review by Pakistan.
Naseem Shah produced a sublime delivery to end a promising start for Root (29), while Ollie Pope's decision to play back to Yasir resulted in his downfall, bowled for three to leave the hosts in a spot of bother.
But, as was the case in the first Test in Manchester when his 75 helped England recover from 127-5 to reach a victory target of 277, Buttler emphatically tipped the balance in his side's favour.
The wicketkeeper-batsman will hope to reach three figures for a second time in the format on Saturday, while batting partner Crawley has a double ton in his sights.
Having been stuck at tea on 97, he made it to three figures with a drive on the up through the covers and, impressively, continued to pile on the runs after reaching the landmark, Pakistan becoming increasingly ragged as not even a second new ball helped them find a late breakthrough.
Day four could have been a tricky one for the tourists in Antigua, with any rush of early wickets potentially handing West Indies a clear sight of an opening win.
After Jack Leach concluded the hosts' innings on 375 by taking the wicket of Jayden Seales with the third ball of the day, Crawley, who went on to reach 117 not out, required a review in the first over to overturn an lbw decision.
Fellow opener Alex Lees was not so fortunate, departing for six to Kemar Roach to reduce England to 24-1, still 40 runs behind their opponents.
Yet that brought Root out alongside Crawley, and the captain made an unbeaten 84 in an outstanding partnership that altered England's outlook considerably.
A short rain delay with Crawley on 49 might have ramped up the nerves, but he returned to pass 50 and continue on into three figures, scoring his second Test century.
Root was well on course to follow Crawley when the weather halted England again, with play eventually abandoned for the day after discussions between the umpires and the captains.
Root willing to take a risk?
England are 153 runs ahead on 217-1, in a great position to accelerate their scoring and attempt to win this match rather than settle for a draw. But the early finish on Friday meant their lead was not larger, making any call to go on the offensive a gamble as West Indies could yet themselves excel with the bat.
In the first match of the series, skipper Root may well take the more measured approach – particularly with his bowlers toiling in the first innings.
Crawley knock critical
That Root might have such a dilemma owes a great deal to Crawley, who put a disappointing first-innings score of eight behind him in some style. Had he departed early again, as he might have when a review was required, England would likely have faced a long day looking to protect hopes of a draw.
Crawley's unbeaten 200-ball knock, his score boosted by 16 fours, instead gave the tourists hope of a first away victory in nine Tests.
A virus in the tourist camp threatened to delay England's first five-day game on Pakistan soil since 2005 but by stumps it was Pakistan who were feeling sick at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium as the visitors closed on 506-4.
Having reached 174-0 by lunch, the most runs scored in the first session of a Test, Crawley reached three figures early after the restart having overturned an lbw decision on review a few balls earlier.
His hundred came off just 86 balls, the fastest for an England opener, while Duckett – who returned at the top of the order for his first Test in six years – seized his opportunity to also reach three figures.
A missed sweep off Zahid Mahmood (2-160) sent Duckett (107) packing lbw and Crawley (122) soon became debutant Haris Rauf's (1-78) first Test victim.
Joe Root (23) fell cheaply after a swift half-century stand with Pope but that was Pakistan's only real spell on top as the latter piled on the runs with Brook.
Together, they made put on 176 for the fourth wicket as Pope (108) celebrated a third Test century prior to falling leg-before for Mohammad Ali's (1-96) maiden Test scalp.
Brook (101no) went on to make his first Test ton as England became the first team to make 500 runs on day one of a Test in what was a glorious display of what has become dubbed 'Bazball'.
CRAWLEY AND DUCKETT SET THE TONE
Crawley and Duckett were the perfect foil on admittedly ideal conditions for scoring, the former driving to the covers at will, while the latter swept with impeccable timing.
England have had well-documented issues at the top of the order and Duckett, playing in just his fifth Test, laid down a big marker on his return to the team.
POPE AND BROOK GO FOR THE JUGULAR
There was a very fleeting spell from Pakistan in the second session but all in all it was a day of toil for the hosts' bowling unit.
Pope was fluent throughout and Brook, who looks a star in the making, was rapid with his knock including six fours from as many balls off Saud Shakeel in the 68th over.
Brook had two maximums and 14 fours. He will return to the crease with captain Ben Stokes (34no) on Friday.
Paine stood down the Australian Test captaincy on Friday having been embroiled in a lewd text message scandal from 2017, which was investigated by CA and Cricket Tasmania in 2018.
At the time, Paine was found not to have breached CA's Code of Conduct and remained in the role as Test captain, having taken up the position earlier that year following Steve Smith's demotion in light of the sandpaper scandal.
CA chair Richard Freudenstein and CEO Nick Hockley addressed the media on Saturday and stressed they were not in their current positions at the time of the investigation, thus were not across the rationale behind the decisions made but said with hindsight they were a mistake.
"Neither of us, Nick Hockley or myself, can speak directly to the decision-making process in 2018," Freudenstein said.
"This includes being able to provide any further insights around how the original judgement was made, that Tim’s behaviour did not breach the code of conduct and that it did not warrant any further disciplinary action.
"Once again, while I cannot speak about the original decision-making in 2018, what I can say is that faced with the same circumstances, and with the benefit of all relevant information about this matter, Cricket Australia would not make the same decisions today.
"I acknowledge that the decision clearly sent the wrong message to the sport, to the community and to Tim – that this kind of behaviour is acceptable and without serious consequences.
"The role of Australia Captain must be held to the highest standards."
At the time of the investigation, David Peever was CA chair and James Sutherland was the organisation's CEO.
Freudenstein added: "A decision was made in 2018 and that decision was final. The details weren't known to anyone who've been on the board since that stage."
Paine follows Smith in being forced to step down from the captaincy in controversial circumstances and Hockley added that highest standards would be expected of the next skipper, expected to be Pat Cummins.
"Going forward I think it's incumbent on everybody to have the highest standards to represent Australia and particularly in a leadership position," Hockley said.
Paine was on Saturday due to play his first game of competitive cricket since neck surgery in September for University of Tasmania against South Hobart-Sandy Bay in Tasmanian club cricket but the day's play was called off due to rain.
