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• Masood relieved by 'important win' for Pakistan cricket

  Pakistan captain Shan Masood says their 152-run victory over England in the second Test to level the three-match series was an "important win" for the team.

  Pakistan had lost each of their last 11 Test matches on the bounce as hosts, a run stretching back to 2021, and were on a six-match losing streak overall in the longest format.

  However, their spinners, Sajid Khan (2-93) and Noman Ali (8-46) ensured that run came to an end on Friday as they orchestrated England's second-innings collapse.

  They combined for all 20 wickets in Multan, playing on the same pitch as the one they lost the first Test on, becoming the first pair to achieve such a feat since Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie in 1972.

  For Masood, it was a first win since becoming captain, and he was proud of how the players rallied to end such a torrid run.

  "This was a very important win for Pakistan cricket," he said. "The recent results were unacceptable.

  "There is relief. This is a long process and journey. It won't be fixed overnight. It's been three years and 10 months since we last won a Test at home. That's not acceptable for Pakistan cricket.

  "We pride ourselves on how well we play this game and how we see ourselves as a team. For us to get a result and hopefully start something here in our own conditions is exciting.

  "Going through that adverse situation for years and still getting a result: that's the character you want from your players, staff and cricket board. Everyone's responded well after the [first Test] loss, which is very heartening."

  England are looking to claim a second consecutive series win in Pakistan, but after their history-making first Test, which saw them win by an innings and 47 runs, they struggled to match that on the well-used pitch.

  Ben Stokes, who missed that last week due to a hamstring injury, was left frustrated by the result and acknowledged it hinged on the coin toss.

  "They used the home conditions in their favour," he said.

  "If we had won the toss, it could have been completely different, and it would have looked like a silly decision.

  "The toss was always going to be massive; me and Shan knew that."

• Pakistan spinners force England collapse to level series

  Pakistan's spinners orchestrated England's second-innings collapse as the hosts rallied on day four to earn a 152-run win.

  Having been subject to an innings and 47-run defeat in the first Test of the series, Pakistan forced a decider thanks to Sajid Khan (2-93) and Noman Ali (8-46).

  England resumed on day four at 36-2 needing 297 runs to win, but Ollie Pope was only able to add one to his total (22) before being caught and bowled off Khan's second ball of the day.

  Three more wickets fell over the next 40 minutes – Joe Root (18) and Harry Brook (16) were both trapped lbw by Noman, who also took Jamie Smith (6) shortly after.

  Though Ben Stokes' 37 looked to provide some brief respite for England, alongside Brydon Carse's knock of 27 as they crept over the 100-mark, the tourists could not maintain any momentum.

  Noman took the final seven wickets of the day and made sure things were wrapped up by lunch, dismissing Shoaib Bashir for a duck immediately after taking Jack Leach for a single run. 

  Data Debrief: The wait is over for Pakistan

  Pakistan have salvaged some pride following their heavy defeat in the first Test, but they have also ended their terrible run on home soil.

  Shan Masood finally has his first win since taking over as captain and, along with it, put a halt to their six-match losing streak in Pakistan. 

  It is all down to Noman and Khan, who combined for all 20 wickets, becoming the first pair to achieve such a feat in a Test since Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie in 1972.

• Windies women eye repeat of 2016 triumph against New Zealand in T20 World Cup semi-final

  Much like they did in 2016, when they got by New Zealand in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final on their way to claiming a maiden title, West Indies women will be hoping to replicate that magic.

  With memories of that six-run triumph still fresh in their minds, the Caribbean side is eager to once again top the Kiwis in Sharjah on Friday to join South Africa in the showpiece event, scheduled for October 20.

  Should the West Indies defeat New Zealand again, it would lay the platform for them to avenge their tournament-opening 10-wicket loss to South Africa. Since that battering, West Indies got by Scotland, Bangladesh and England on their way to the knockout stage, where they are now seeking to build on that momentum.

  “I think we’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve. No one kind of had us get to this stage, so I think we’re all pretty happy that we’ve made it here. The job’s just not finished yet and we got our eyes locked on the game tomorrow (Friday) and ready for New Zealand,” Captain Hayley Matthews said in a pre-game conference.

  “Hopefully ready to play a really big game because we do want to win; we don't want to just come to this World Cup to say, ‘hey, we've made the semifinals and we're happy with that. We want to take it even further,” she added.

  Experienced Jamaican batter Stafanie Taylor remains in doubt for West Indies, but Matthews’ side still possesses enough ability to pull a surprise, much like they did against England on last. In fact, with the likes of Zaida James and other rising talents currently in the squad, Matthews encouraged her peers to enjoy the moment as she recalled when she won her first World Cup title eight years ago at 18 years old.

  “I think for me it was mostly just about staying calm but having fun, especially as a West Indian. I think we're always at our best when we're out there on the field, enjoying ourselves and being really vibrant in the field, and I'm just encouraging every one of the youngsters to go out there and enjoy themselves. Yeah, it's the World Cup semi-final and it's a huge game, but we're still playing the same game that we learned in the backyards of our homes and out on the streets in the Caribbean. So just enjoy it,” Matthews shared.

  Despite facing tough competition, the West Indies have fought their way into the final four with a combination of gritty performances and standout individual displays, including the stellar all-round efforts of Matthews herself, along with Taylor, Qiana Joseph and Deandra Dottin, in particular.

  “I think we all had the belief that we could still get the job done and the character shown within the team for us to be able to come back out there and fight. It's just about having a really good game and every single one of the players went out there and we're able to execute as we pull together as a team really well,” Matthews noted.

  That said, the talented Barbadian all-rounder expressed optimism about the prospects that could come from her team winning another global T20 title.

  “I really hope it helps our domestic setup. We've obviously seen the WCPL come about, which I think has made a massive difference for our girls, getting to play against some of the best cricketers in the world and playing a high-quality tournament like that.

  “But for me, it's got to start right up from our individual territories, putting things in place for the girls to have proper facilities to train at and a proper structure to the point where the girls don't have to be in camp in order to get proper training. So I'd love to see if we can go out there, do really well, and hopefully we can see something like that happening for us,” Matthews explained.

  But before they can get there, they will have to get by a dangerous New Zealand team.