PAKISTAN'S tour from hell turned even more grim in front of a sparse crowd in Cardiff last night.
England secured a 2-0 Twenty20 series win after the tourists were bundled out for just 89, setting a target that was overhauled with 36 balls to spare.
The six-wicket win was as comprehensive a success as you could see in international cricket... it's just a shame that not many were in the Swalec Stadium to watch it.
And why should people pay to be there to watch a Pakistan side that doesn't seem to want to be there themselves?
A crowd of around 4,000 cannot be sugar-coated and Glamorgan are not to blame for the woeful attendance.
There were a host of factors – spot-fixing allegations, the absence of star England batsman Kevin Pietersen, a clash with Euro 2012 football qualifiers and a dodgy weather forecast.
But they are minor causes when compared to an already chocker fixture list that can still ask punters in the same catchment area to stump up their cash for two games in the space of three days.
The counties complained this summer that they were struggling to sell tickets for the T20 Cup given the amount of game crammed into a short space of time.
That is nothing compared to asking the public of south Wales and the West Country to pay to get in to watch a demoralised Pakistan go up against an on-song England when the cheapest tickets aren't cheap.
Good luck to the grounds that host the forthcoming five-match ODI series.
It was a game billed as a meeting between the World Twenty20 champions and the side that they took their crown off.
Well, in November WBA world heavyweight champion David Haye is going up against an Olympic gold medallist but few will fancy Audley Harrison's chances.
Pakistan won the toss and came out with the attitude of a brawler in a pub car park rather than an accomplished pugilist.
They swung hard at everything and the England seam attack reduced them to 23 for four from the first six overs.
Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahzaib Hasan and skipper Shahid Afridi all fell cheaply in a clueless performance from Pakistan.
On Sunday they had six men still in the dugout when they cautiously scored an under-par 126 for four while last night they attacked too hard early on and limped to 89 all out.
Umar Akmal showed some resistance when he smashed Graeme Swann for a pair of sixes over the River Taff End boundary but the off-spinner had the final say, bowling the right-hander after bravely giving the ball some air.
Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Michael Yardy went for just 10 runs from his four overs at the other end and the English bowlers all headed off with nice figures.
It was only some lusty late blows from bowler Umar Gul that got Pakistan anywhere near three figures.
Not even Shoaib Akhtar in his pomp would be able to defend such a total and England eased home despite openers Steve Davies and Craig Kieswetter going in the space of two balls in the third over.
The hosts were almost too cautious with Ravi Bopara playing a nervy, Test-like innings before being trapped leg before by Afridi for a24-ball 12.
But, as is becoming the norm in one-dayers, Eoin Morgan played the finisher role and saw his side home with Yardy.
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