England skipper Alastair Cook blasts ‘naive’ batting as Pakistan win First Test
Upset opener's verdict on four-day loss at Lord's: "You could see what they were trying to do and we fell into their trap"
ALASTAIR COOK blasted England’s “naïve” batting after losing to Pakistan at Lord’s by 75 runs.
The hosts crashed to 207 all out in their second innings after a string of reckless strokes, as shamed Mohammad Amir took the winning wicket for the tourists.
And captain Cook, 31, rapped: “We had a few poor shot selections to certain types of balls.
“In general in this match, we played some naïve shots at times. You could see what they were trying to do and we fell into their trap.
“You can play bad shots but we played too many bad shots.
“We have got to talk about it, but you can talk all you want - it is about delivering in the middle.
“Nobody got a hundred in this game and you don’t win many games when you don’t score runs.
“We had quite an inexperienced side in this game and I think some of that showed.
“It was a realisation of what it can take to beat a very good side.
“But it was a good week in terms of some of the guys growing up and becoming a match-hardened Test cricketer. Week’s like this do that.”
Pakistan celebrated their First Test triumph by lining up as a team and doing press-ups in front of the Lord’s pavilion - a nod to their pre-tour army boot camp.
Ex-England all-rounder Tim Bresnan tweeted: “That might bite you boys. Karma catches up with you eventually. It did with the Sprinkler.”
And Cook added: “It is never nice losing at Lord’s and seeing the opposition like they were at the end.
“At that emotive time, it was not pleasant viewing.
“But we will use that as motivation and get better.
“The beauty of a four Test match series is that there are three more chances to put it right.
“We have been beaten before and we’ve come back stronger.”
On the celebrations, Pakistan’s victorious captain Misbah-ul-Haq explained: “I got a chance to do that after scoring a hundred and the team were hoping they would get a chance as well.
“It is a small tribute to all those army men who worked really hard with us at the boot camp.
“They do not get big salaries but they are willing to sacrifice their life for the Pakistan flag - and that is a big motivation for all of us.”
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah was named man of the match as he followed up his first-innings 6-72 with 4-69 yesterday.
But it was Amir who bowled Jake Ball to clinch victory, capping his comeback from the five-year ban he got for spot-fixing here in 2010.
Misbah, 42, added: “That was a special moment for him. That could be the start of a new life.
“I hope he will perform like that and just be a really good man now. A good cricketer now and a good human being.
“He is so lucky that he got another chance and now it is a new life for him, a new start.
