Michael Vaughan, Geoffrey Boycott hail pacer Chris Woakes

Chris Woakes has gone from a “Skoda to a Ferrari” in just three months, says former England captain Michael Vaughan. Woakes, 27, picked up 5/31 on day three of the first Test against Pakistan after his first-innings 6/70. He has the second-best England match figures of this decade, after Jimmy Anderson’s 10/45 against Sri Lanka in May.

Vaughan said Woakes’ transformation was “staggering”, adding: “He’s been told to bowl quicker and he’s done that.”

Speaking to BBC’s Test Match Special, Vaughan added: “It just proves to anyone that you can go away, work hard, improve your game, improve your mentality, and it just looks to me like he’s that bit stronger.

“He bends his back that bit harder. He’s one of the first names on the sheet. He deserves it.”

“He’s come back a bit stronger,” said Vaughan. “I think he puts more energy into the action, power into the ball. And that’s why he’s bowling quicker.

Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott said: “He had confidence. It’s not about runs all the time, but about the way he played him. He was comfortable. The other batsmen were like a cat on a hot tin roof. They were fidgety all the time.”