Pakistan, England teams observe minute of silence for Quetta attack victims

LONDON: The Pakistan and England cricket teams wore black arm-bands and observed a minute of silence for the victims of Quetta Attack as they geared up to play the fourth and final test match at Oval on Thursday.

On Monday a suicide blast at the Quetta Civil Hospital killed 74 people and injured over 112. The explosion took place when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department. He was gunned down at Mano Jan Road earlier. Former Balochistan Bar President Baz Muhammad Kakar was injured in the attack. He later succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.

Most of the victims of the bomb blast were lawyers, with some reports claiming that an entire generation of lawyers was wiped out in the bloody attack.

Lawyers all over Pakistan announced a week of mourning boycotting duties and staging demonstrations. The Supreme Court Bar President Ali Zafar in various press statements demanded that the state had failed to protect the lives of lawyers who received threats regularly.

England wins toss, bats first

England won the toss and decided to bat against. Pakistan are without Rahat Ali, who will sit out the Test over injury concerns. Fast bowler Wahab Riaz will replace him.

Pakistan also decided to drop opener Mohammad Hafeez, who had failed to perform with the bat so far in the series. Debutante Iftikhar Ahmed will play the first Test of his career today in his place.

Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq said after the toss that his side would have chosen to bat against England had they won the toss instead.

The pitch would help spinners later in the day, he said.

England are unchanged heading into the Test.

Pakistan have already lost two back-to-back Test matches against England at Old Trafford and Edgbaston while Pakistan drew first blood when they beat the hosts by 75 runs at Lords in the very first match of the series.

England beat Pakistan comprehensively in the last two Test matches, at Edgbaston by 143 runs and at Old Trafford by 330 runs

Pakistan have not won a Test series on the English soil since the past 20 years. Outside Asia, the last time Pakistan clinched a Test series was against New Zealand six years ago. According to Misbah-ul-Haq, if Pakistan are to level the series, then they must play extraordinary cricket.