This was exactly the sort of innings England have been crying out for, and exactly the sort of match that exposes how fragile their batting has become. Ben Duckett's 105 off 111 balls was his fifth ODI century, a defiant, properly controlled effort in Lahore, but it arrived inside a broader picture that still looks uncomfortable for England. Since the start of 2025, they have been bowled out 10 times in 17 innings when batting first. That is not a blip. That is a pattern.
Pakistan, meanwhile, were never going to make this easy. Shaheen took three wickets and kept the pressure on, while Arafat Minhas tied things down with eight consecutive overs from one end and finished with 2-26. That is the sort of bowling effort that forces batters to earn every single run, and Duckett did just that. He found a way through when others around him did not always look so secure.
Duckett stands up while England wobble
The important thing here is not just the century. It is the context around it. England have spent far too much time lately looking like a side waiting for someone else to rescue them. Duckett at least offered resistance, but the larger issue remains obvious: one batter doing the heavy lifting does not fix a team problem. This was a reminder that England's batting still has too many soft spots, too many spells where momentum disappears, and too little consistency for comfort.
There was one brief burst of lower-order defiance to brighten the picture. Gus Atkinson reached 17 from 11 balls and hit consecutive sixes off Haris Rauf, which at least gave England something to hold onto. But even that felt like a fragment of resistance rather than a full answer. The innings had already been shaped by Duckett's composure and by Pakistan's ability to keep England under pressure for long stretches.
A familiar England problem, just under brighter lights
That is why the wider conversation matters. Brendon McCullum's teams are supposed to be built on clarity, freedom and professionalism, yet England have too often looked vulnerable when batting first. Duckett's innings was excellent, but it also came as a correction to a deeper flaw. One strong knock can steady the evening; it cannot disguise the fact that England have now been bowled out 10 times since the start of 2025 in this situation.
Alex Hartley's observations underlined the tactical tension around the contest, including the sense that Pakistan were trying to create pressure by bringing fielders up and encouraging risk, while Haris Rauf was being asked to bowl full and straight. That kind of squeeze is exactly where England have looked uncomfortable far too often. Duckett resisted it. Too many of his teammates did not.
So yes, Ben Duckett deserves the praise for a proper, determined 105. But if England are still relying on innings like this to keep the batting from sliding into trouble, then they are not solving the issue. They are simply surviving it for another day.
