Multan: Skipper Shan Masood and opener Abdullah Shafique both cracked centuries as Pakistan scored an impressive 328-4 on the opening day of the first Test against England in Multan on Monday.
Masood’s brilliant 151 was his first hundred for four years, while Shafique also returned to form with 102 as the pair put on a solid 253-run stand for the second wicket after Pakistan won the toss and batted.
England, led by Ollie Pope in the absence of the injured Ben Stokes, briefly fought back when they removed both Masood and Shafique in the space of just two runs in the third session.
The visitors took the second new ball at 308-3 and dismissed Babar Azam, trapped leg-before by fast bowler Chris Woakes for 30. Saud Shakeel was unbeaten on 35 at the close of play with nightwatchman Naseem Shah yet to score.
England’s attack toiled hard in the Multan heat, with fast bowler Gus Atkinson the most successful with 2-70. Woakes and spinner Jack Leach both took a wicket each.
Masood had been under pressure to make runs, with his last hundred coming against the same opponents at Manchester in 2020 — 14 Tests and 27 innings ago.
He pushed Woakes for a single to complete his fifth Test hundred off just 102 balls with two sixes and 13 fours in a dominant display of batting.
Shafique was equally assured as the pair made England’s three-pronged pace attack and two spinners toil on a batting-friendly pitch.
England took a wicket in the fourth over when Atkinson forced opener Saim Ayub to glove a shorter ball down the leg side to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith with the total on eight.
The visitors thought they had a second when pace bowler Brydon Carse, on debut, trapped Masood in front on 16 and umpire Kumar Dharmasena gave him out.
However, a review showed the ball had pitched outside the leg stump.
Masood went on the attack against Shoaib Bashir, hitting the off-spinner for four boundaries before two more off Atkinson took him to his 11th Test fifty.
Shafique survived being run out on 34 when Pope missed the stumps with his diving throw with the batsman well short of his ground. He smashed two fours and a six off Bashir to reach his sixth Test half-century.
Both teams have picked three fast bowlers and two spinners, hoping that the pitch will offer new-ball help to the seamers before taking spin later in the match.
The remaining Tests are in Multan (October 15-19) and Rawalpindi (October 24-28).
Masood, Abdullah centuries lift Pakistan to 328-4 in first England Test
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Masood, Abdullah centuries lift Pakistan to 328-4 in first England Test
- Masood’s brilliant 151 was his first hundred for four years, while Shafique also returned to form with 102
- England briefly fought back as they removed both Masood, Shafique in space of just two runs in third session
Pakistan in talks with Saudi Arabia, China, banks for $2 billion refinery expansion— official
- Islamabad seeks to expand Pakistan Refinery Limited’s crude oil processing capacity from 50,000 bpsd to 100,000 bpsd, says official
- Official says three-year project would need $2 billion investment, with 60-70 percent to be raised through debt financing
KARACHI: Pakistan’s government and the state-owned Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) are in talks with Saudi Arabia, China, global commercial banks and financial institutions to secure funding for a $2 billion refinery expansion project, an official said on Tuesday.
The PRL is an energy company located in Pakistan’s commercial hub Karachi. With a processing capacity of 50,000 barrels of crude oil per day, it supplies refined petroleum products countrywide. It is a subsidiary of the state-owned Pakistan State Oil (PSO), which owns 63.56 percent of its shares.
Pakistan is seeking partners that can finance PRL’s Refinery Expansion and Upgrade Project (REUP). The official confirmed that REUP is part of Pakistan’s Brownfield Refinery Policy, which aims to upgrade the nation’s five existing oil refineries to deep conversion refineries, with a combined crude processing capacity of about 350,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd). The total project cost to upgrade these five refineries has been estimated at $5-6 billion.
“We are in contact with Saudis, Chinese, Export Credit Agencies and Development Finance Institutions and others to obtain the financing and firms have shown interest,” an official with direct knowledge of the development told Arab News on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media.
The official said that the government was in talks with investors in Saudi Arabia while the PRL was in contact with the Chinese government and ECAs, DFIs and global commercial banks.
The PRL aims to double the crude processing capacity of its Karachi hydro-skimming plant to 100,000 bpsd, produce Euro V-compliant motor spirit and diesel, meet evolving environmental standards and decrease Pakistan’s reliance on imported fuels.
The move would help Pakistan reduce its reliance on costly fuel imports. The South Asian country imported petroleum products worth $16 billion in fiscal year 2025, more than 27 percent of its total imports.
“The project is estimated at $2 billion and is to be implemented in 36 months with debt ranging between 60-70 percent,” the official said.
He added that potential investors may secure an equity stake in the project.
Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik visited Saudi Arabia earlier this month to lead a high-level delegation at the Future Minerals Summit. There, he reportedly met investors and briefed them on REUP.
Malik and the petroleum ministry spokesperson Zafar Abbas did not respond to Arab News’ request for comments on the matter.
The official said Saudi authorities have asked Pakistan to brief them on the project. He said the government has planned an official visit “in the near future” to the Kingdom, where Saudi investors would be given the required briefing.
The official said once the required financing is available, PRL would aim to achieve REUP’s financial close by December and begin work on the project in January 2027.
“All our potential financers are expected to undertake due diligence of the project in the coming months,” the official said.
Sheikh Imran ul Haque, project director of the PRL, said the company was making steady and measurable progress on REUP, a strategically significant initiative designed to enhance refining capabilities and product quality.
“PRL has successfully completed detailed technical and commercial evaluations with EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) bidders,” he told Arab News.
Haque said the company’s next target is signing the EPC contract in the first quarter of 2026.
He said this would be followed by the financial close at the end of the year, marking the formal transition of REUP from its development phase to the execution one.
Pakistan has desperately tried to reform its economy by looking for cheaper sources of fuel. Its refining sector has long struggled with aging infrastructure, limited upgrading and thin margins.
Industry officials argue that over-reliance on imports increases exposure to global price volatility, shipping disruptions and foreign exchange pressure.
