Text size

Ben Stokes, whose England team were beaten by 152 runs in the second Pakistan Test on Friday, said he had apologized after showing his frustration on the field a day earlier.

The visitors were left to rue two dropped catches on the third day in Multan, with Salman Agha getting away with four and six en route to a crucial half-century as Pakistan posted 221 in the second innings.

England fell short of an improbable 297 to seal the series with one game to spare, but never came close on a sharply turned Multan pitch reused from the first Test.

It was Pakistan's first Test win at home since February 2021.

“Nobody has any intention of dropping catches but it just proves how important catches are in these conditions in the subcontinent because they don’t happen that often,” skipper Stokes told Sky Sports.

“I actually apologized to the group up there last night.”

Stokes, who missed England's innings win in the first Test in Multan due to injury, added: “It's the first time in my captaincy that I've let my emotions, how I felt during the game, show through my body language.”

“I've acknowledged that and I'm very upset with myself for letting that out, and that's something I don't want to do or be seen as.”

“So I apologized to the group for that and said it was the poor old man who came out last night, a tired, grumpy old man, but that won't happen to you again.”

The third and final Test takes place in Rawalpindi on October 24 and Stokes refused to look back or wonder what might have been.

“Next week will be good. I’m sure everyone here and at home had fun watching,” said the captain.

“Hopefully we can get a win next week and go home with another series win.”

England won three Test series in Pakistan in 2022.