Icc Test Championship

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced a £61million support package on Tuesday to address "the biggest challenge the ECB has faced in its history".

A reduction in salary's for England's centrally contracted players is not yet a part of that effort, although ESPNcricinfo reported ECB chief executive Tom Harrison had written to his counterpart at the Professional Cricketers' Association, Tony Irish, to suggest the country's leading cricket stars should take a lead on this matter.

Harrison himself has volunteered to take a 25 per cent reduction in salary, with the executive management team and board taking a 20 per cent cut for the two months starting April 1. Some staff will also be asked to consent to furloughing under the UK government's coronavirus scheme, before having their salaries topped back up to 100 per cent by the ECB. 

Ben Stokes tweeted to strongly dispute the suggestion he and his team-mates had elected not to take a pay cut, while Morgan told reporters on Wednesday that he had not seen the letter.

"I'm extremely willing to help where I know it's going to make a difference," he said.

"In the extremely uncertain times at the moment, where nobody seems to have any answers of the actual impact it will have on international cricket, English cricket, county cricket, I'm open to absolutely everything.

"I'm very aware how serious the situation is, I'm very aware that everybody will be affected from top to toe within the game and in every sport.

"I'm open to helping where and when I can."

Morgan explained he felt finding the appropriate response was complicated for cricket players because their immediate plans are in such a state of flux.

"The difficult thing we find at the moment when we talk as players is that we can't answer that – we can't answer what is the best way to help out as players," he said.

"Is it to engage on social media? Is it to engage in other streams? Is it just to sit back and let this pass and hopefully we'll play?

"In relation to what we're trying to do and play cricket, get back out on the field, it seems to be quite a while away. The advice that we will be continually getting over the coming weeks is the important stuff."

One of Morgan's World Cup-winning colleagues to have taken a pro-active step in this regard is Jos Buttler.

The Lancashire wicketkeeper has put his shirt from last year's dramatic final triumph over New Zealand at Lord's up for auction on eBay, with the highest bid already in excess of £65,000.

Buttler's shirt is signed by the entire England team and the proceeds will be donated to the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity, to fund life-saving equipment to help those affected by COVID-19.

"It's an incredibly kind gesture," Morgan said. "Certainly, I'm not one for holding on to memorabilia and if I can help out in any way by auctioning off or donating to charity, I do what I can.

"Other people are different. We've seen during the Australian bushfires, where Shane Warne auctioned his baggy green cap for a million dollars or something ridiculous.

"The impact that can have on so many lives, as opposed to sitting in somebody's drawer and just having it as a bit of a trophy – personally that's something I don't understand.

"Jos, I suppose, is one of those guys. I think his shirt will go for a lot of money but the gesture in itself, to help aid and buy new equipment, I think is outstanding."

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have carried out a total of 702 tests during June, involving not just players but also members of the coaching team and staff at the two bio-secure venues - the Ageas Bowl and Old Trafford - set to host the upcoming matches.

All those checked were clear of COVID-19, the governing body confirmed on Wednesday. The first Test starts on July 8.

"The England and Wales Cricket Board can confirm that 702 COVID-19 tests were carried out between June 3 and June 23 with several stakeholder groups working at the bio-secure venues of the Ageas Bowl and Old Trafford," a short statement read.

"These groups include players, support staff, match officials, ECB staff, venue staff and hotel staff. We can confirm that all 702 tests were negative."

All of England's players bar Jofra Archer arrived at the Ageas Bowl, which stages the series opener, on Tuesday to take part in a behind-closed-doors camp.

Paceman Archer is set to join up with his team-mates on Thursday, his delayed arrival coming after a member of his household felt unwell over the weekend.

After starting out at the Ageas Bowl, England and West Indies will move up to Manchester for the remaining two Tests.

Bangladesh, who visited Pakistan for Test and Twenty20 matches earlier this year, were due to arrive back in the country on March 29 to complete the final leg of their three-part, multi-format tour.

Those plans are now on hold, with the two boards set to discuss options for rescheduling the second Test that was due to begin in Karachi on April 5.

A standalone ODI had also been scheduled to go ahead in Karachi on April 1.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement read: "The Pakistan and Bangladesh cricket boards have decided to postpone the upcoming One-Day International and Test in Karachi for a later date.

"The two boards will now work together to identify a future opportunity to complete the ICC World Test Championship commitment."

Pakistan beat the Tigers by an innings and 44 runs in the first Test in Rawalpindi in February.

The unusual fixture arrangements emerged as a compromise after the Bangladesh Cricket Board expressed concerns over security and player safety in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the PCB has also indefinitely postponed the domestic one-day Pakistan Cup tournament, which was scheduled to start on March 25.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a statement to reveal the list of names who will be on the chartered flight to Manchester, as well as an update on the situations of those who had previously tested positive for COVID-19. 

Of the original 29-man squad, 18 received the all-clear following Thursday's checks, as well as 11 members of the support staff. 

They will be joined on the journey by fast bowler Musa Khan and wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir, who have also been tested twice in the past week. Zafar Gohar, meanwhile, will team up with the squad on their arrival in England.The left-arm spinner played a solitary one-dayer for Pakistan in 2015, though he will only be involved in pre-match preparations.

As for those not making the initial trip, they will not be able to travel until returning two successive negative results.  

Six players - Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Wahab Riaz – have done so once and will be tested again next week with a view to joining their team-mates.

Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Kashif Bhatti and Imran Khan, along with masseur Malang Ali, all tested positive again, however. The PCB medical team has instructed them to remain in quarantine, with their progress to be monitored. 

"I want to reassure the players and the official left behind that the PCB will provide them the best support and look after them during the quarantine period," PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said in a statement.  

"It needs to be remembered that these players were asymptomatic, which means their chances of regaining complete fitness are higher and brighter than most. As soon as these players test negative twice through the PCB testing process they will be flown to England to join the squad. 

"I am aware Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz took personal tests outside of our process prior to the second PCB testing. While their results came up negative, as per the PCB testing programme, they are deemed to have one negative test following a positive test.  

"Therefore, once they are retested and receive a second negative result under the PCB testing programme, they will be available to join the squad in England."

Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests and a trio of Twenty20 fixtures against England.

Pakistan squad travelling to England: Azhar Ali (captain), Babar Azam, Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmad, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Yasir Shah. 

England are set to face Pakistan in three Tests and three T20 internationals across July and August but the tour was thrown into doubt over the past week as the initial 29-man touring party was struck by a raft of COVID-19 cases.

Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imran Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan and Wahab Riaz all tested positive.

The ECB said in a statement that players testing positive will not be allowed to travel with the advanced group, with Hafeez's status unclear after the all-rounder tweeted a picture of a negative test and claimed he had received the all-clear.

Test captain Azhar Ali, white-ball counterpart Babar Azam and the remaining players will use Worcestershire's New Road as their training base during their mandatory 14-day isolation period before transferring to Derbyshire's County Ground.

Bilal Asif, Imran Butt, Musa Khan and Mohammad Nawaz have been named as reserves for the Pakistan squad and could make the trip subject to returning negative coronavirus tests.

England's home season has been delayed by the global pandemic but they will host West Indies at the Ageas Bowl next month in the first of three Tests.

Fast bowler Haris Rauf, all-rounder Shadab Khan and uncapped teenage batsman Haider Ali were tested on Sunday in Rawalpindi and found to have COVID-19.

According to a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), all three have shown no symptoms and were advised to immediately enter isolation.

Another 23 players from the 29-man squad are due to receive test results on Tuesday, with Usman Shinwari and Imad Wasim having already returned negative tests and Shoaib Malik SET to join up with the squad at a later date after being given permission to spend time with his family.

Giles says the positive tests are undeniably a concern but is confident the tour, which is due to see three Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals take place from the end of July until September, will go ahead as planned.

"It is a concern – and we are most concerned about the welfare of those players who have tested positive," said Giles, who is managing director of men's cricket for England.

"At the moment, I don't think the series is in doubt. We are far enough away from the start of the Test series to be too worried and we are still hopeful the Pakistan team will be arriving in the country fairly soon.

"We are still waiting on the other test results but I think we are still far enough out even if a number of those results were positive."

Pakistan has recorded a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, with 3,946 more confirmed on Tuesday, taking the total number to just over 185,000. Nearly 3,700 people to test positive for coronavirus have died.

"The situation in Pakistan is not great at the moment and our thoughts go out to the whole country, so clearly it's important we get the team in the country and we can get on with our series," Giles said. "Anything that puts that at risk is clearly a problem.

"All of this has uncertainty still as we know how fast-moving the situation has been around the world. We have been very careful at every step, but do we really know what's around the corner? No.

"This is such a global and far-reaching issue and is affecting everyone and there are far more important things going on than sport.

"But we are hopeful that if we can get international sport on it will be a fillip for people around the world."

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."

The ICC chief executives' committee will vote on the proposal, which has been put forward to "mitigate the risks posed by the COVID-19 virus", in June.

It has been reported the ICC will not permit the use of an artificial substance to generate movement when the ball is in the air, though players can use sweat.

Australia paceman Starc understands the concerns but thinks bowlers should be offered an alternative to ensure batsmen to not get an advantage.

"I understand that completely and hear what they're saying in terms of a foreign substance, but whether that can be controlled by the umpires in terms of they have a portion of the wax and you can only use a small amount, I don't know, but there needs to be a maintaining of the even contest," Starc said in a video conference.

"I understand what they're saying with foreign substances and that it's black and white in terms of that, but it's an unusual time for the world and if they're going to remove saliva shining for a portion of time they need to think of something else for that portion of time as well.

"Whether it be the wickets being not as flat or at least considering this shining wax to a degree, there needs to be some thought on that, I think.

"I guess you use both those things [saliva and sweat] to shine the ball. I've probably been a bit more on the sweat side, just trying to not get my hands in my mouth too much.

"But I agree completely with what Pat [Cummins] commented on last week: that contest with bat and ball, we don't want to lose that or get further away from that even contest, so there needs to be something in place to either keep that ball swinging.

"They've mentioned that it's only going to be there for a period of time and then once the world gets back to a relatively normal situation then saliva can come back into shining the ball.

"But if it's going to be a window of time there, maybe then instruct people to leave more grass on the wickets to have that contest or if they're going to take away a portion of maintaining the ball, there needs to be that even contest between bat and ball, otherwise people are going to stop watching, and kids aren't going to want to be bowlers.

"I think as we saw in Australia the last couple of years, there's some pretty flat wickets, and if that ball's going straight, it's a pretty boring contest.

"I think [ball manufacturers] Kookaburra have been developing a shining wax or something of the sort, so whether there's consideration of that, there needs to be some maintaining [of] that even contest.

"Generally, the spinners reckon that the wickets that seam a bit also spin, so maybe if you bring the bowlers back into the game, you'll tick all the boxes."

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 middle-order batsman withdrew from selection for the three-match Test and Twenty20 series, with fixtures set to take place behind closed doors across August and September.

While Sohail's absence was made public on Thursday, it was only in naming the squad on Friday that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) offered a full explanation, having previously cited "family reasons".

A back injury has ruled out Hasan Ali, while Mohammad Amir is skipping the tour to be at the birth of his second child.

"Fast bowlers Hasan Ali and Mohammad Amir, and middle-order batsman Haris were not available for selection," read a statement from the PCB.

"Hasan is suffering from a back injury, Amir withdrew so that he can be at the birth of his second child in August, while Haris took the option of pulling out of the tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Pakistan Under-19 batsman Haider Ali has earned a call-up, with Kashif Bhatti the other uncapped player included.

Chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said: "The selectors have picked a squad which gives us the best chance of success in England.

"It was a challenging process as the players have not played for an extended period of time, but nevertheless, with the month that we will have in England and the intense training we will undergo, we are confident we will get the players up to the mark to be ready for the three Tests."

Pakistan squad:

Squad: Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.

Fast bowler Haris Rauf, all-rounder Shadab Khan and uncapped teenage batsman Haider Ali were tested on Sunday in Rawalpindi and found to have COVID-19.

According to a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), all three have shown no symptoms and were advised to immediately enter isolation.

Rauf, Shadab and Haider are considered white-ball specialists, meaning the three T20 internationals slated for August 29, August 31 and September 2 are their target.

Imad Wasim and Usman Shinwari took part in the same screening session and will travel to Lahore to join up with their team-mates on Thursday, having returned negative results.

The PCB expects to announce the outcomes of the tests carried out on the rest of the squad and backroom staff at local centres in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar on Monday within 24 hours.

Pakistan named a 29-man squad for the tour, which is set to begin with a three-Test series on July 30.

The travelling party is set to depart for England on Sunday, with Bilal Asif, Imran Butt, Musa Khan and Mohammad Nawaz named on a standby list.

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.

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."

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.