Saud Shakeel 'depressed' as Pakistan's batting woes continue in England

The tourists were bundled out for 133 in just 33 overs and change on an overcast day in Birmingham. Granted, there was some movement off the deck, but the pitch appeared to be mostly void of demons. Instead, poor shot selection saw them slump to 26/4 before Shakeel mustered some resolve.

Its a worrying trend for Pakistan who have yet to breach the 200 mark on tour. They were bowled out for 171 and 135 in the opener, then 104 and 194 at Lord's to go 2-0 down in the series.

"It's depressing, we're making the same mistake as a batting unit," Shakeel told ESPN.

"We're getting out in bunches and there were lots of soft dismissals today. We're trying, but yes it's frustrating that we keep making the same mistakes. I don't think it's a confidence issue.

"If you don't have the confidence to play at this level, then you don't deserve to play here. But in difficult conditions, poor form can be quite hard to break out of."

Shakeel was man alone on Wednesday. He looked like he was batting on a different pitch as he struck seven boundaries before being bowled through the gate by Josh Tongue for a brisk 43.

"I try to play according to the demands of any situation," he revealed.

"With wickets falling around me, the best option for me was to make as many runs as I could. So I was batting quicker to adjust to the situation around me."

England will resume Day 2 on 156/4, 23 runs ahead on a pitch seemingly flattening out further.