Matt Prior top-scored with a combative unbeaten 49 for England but it wasn't enough as they succumbed to a 71-run defeat and resulting 3-0 series whitewash at the hands of Pakistan in Dubai.
The tourists began the day on 36 without loss, but soon lost Andrew Strauss - leg-before to Abdur Rehman for 26 - to resume the top-order's troubles against Pakistan's quality spin duo.
It is from the wreck of England's disastrous second innings in Abu Dhabi that this week's award winner emerges. Abdur Rehman - a previously unheralded and underrated left-arm spinner from Sialkot in the north-eastern Pakistani province of Punjab - took six wickets for just 25 runs in England's back-footed capitulation of 72, and, in doing so, brought the tourists' pretensions of word domination sharply into focus.
Saeed Ajmal picked up his 100th Test wicket as Pakistan found England wanting against spin bowling on their way to a 72-run win on day four of the second Test in Abu Dhabi.
Ajmal returned three for 22 but was overshadowed by left-armer Abdur Rehman, whose six for 25 bundled England out for 72 - their lowest Test score against Pakistan - having been set 145 to win.
Pakistan quick bowler Mohammad Talha has been ruled out of the rest of the Test series against England with a back injury.
23-year-old right-armer Talha was left out of the opening Test, which Pakistan won by ten wickets in Dubai, and the spinal disc injury means he will miss both the second Test in Abu Dhabi and the third match in Dubai.
There are two main contenders for this week's Cricket World Player of the Week. Saeed Ajmal and AB de Villiers have each turned in exemplary performances for their teams this week to help Pakistan and South Africa record victories over England and Sri Lanka respectively.
A look ahead to a busy week that sees three Test matches get underway in Australia, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.
In Adelaide, Australia take on India, then in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan take on England in high spirits following their ten-wicket win in the opener in Dubai and finally, New Zealand meet Zimbabwe in Napier.
Pakistan thrashed England by ten wickets on day three of the opening Test in Dubai after they produced a ruthlessly clinical performance to register the first outright result at the venue.
They built a first-innings lead of 146 by scoring 338 thanks to Adnan Akmal's 61 then routed England for 160 before finishing proceedings by cruising to 15 without loss in their second innings.
Pakistan's Mohammad Asif is set to appeal against the seven-year ban handed down to him by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his part in the spot-fixing case.
Asif was banned from all cricket activities along with his compatriots Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir after being found guilty of breaching the ICC's anti-corruption code and was later jailed for one year following a trial by jury in England.
Sachin Tendulkar remained the man to beat in the 2011 Cricket World Awards - as voted for by Cricket World viewers, listeners and followers.
Following his dual success in being crowned Player of the Year and Batsman of the Year in 2010, the 'Little Master', held on to the main award by gaining 19 percent of the total votes cast, although he did have to share the Batsman of the Year gong with team-mate Virender Sehwag.
Pakistan have recalled batsman Umar Akmal and fast-bowler Wahab Riaz for their three-Test series against England in the UAE, which begins on January 17th. Left-armer Junaid Khan has also been recalled, with seamer Mohammad Khalil and former captain Shoaib Malik both making way from the squad that toured Bangladesh.
Malik appears to have paid for his poor run of form in ODI cricket - he has 35 runs from his last six innings - with his Test place.
The week before Christmas is quite rightly a quiet time in the international cricket calendar, and so it proved to be this year, with the last three days of the second and final Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh the sole action over the past seven days.
Abdur Rehman was a vital factor in Pakistan's eventual seven-wicket victory on the final day with his second innings four for 51, but it is Shakib Al Hasan, who ended with six Pakistani wickets in their first innings, who takes this week's award.
Bangladesh and Pakistan were unable to begin play on the final day of the second and final Test in Dhaka on time due to bad weather.
Bangladesh faced an uphill struggle to save the game after they were reduced to 114 for five - still trailing by 18 runs - on day four.
Pakistan will meet Afghanistan in a One-Day International as part of their preparations for the one-day series against England in February.
The two sides will contest an ODI for the first time, although a Pakistan A side beat Afghanistan in three one-day games earlier this year.
There can only be one winner of Cricket World's Player Of The Week award on the week that Virender Sehwag broke the record for the highest individual score in a One-Day International.
He hit 219 from 149 balls during his epic knock against the West Indies in the fourth match between the two sides in Indore on Thursday and, if he hadn't been dismissed by Kieron Pollard in the 47th over, may well have taken the record into the territory of those deemed to be unbeatable.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news looking at four batsmen - Manoj Tiwary, Kieron Pollard, David Warner and Asad Shafiq all scoring their maiden international centuries over the weekend.
Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman picked up four wicket as Pakistan completed an innings-and-184-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chittagong despite half-centuries from Nazimuddin and Shakib Al Hasan.
Debutant Nazimuddin stroked 75 and Shakib 51 before the home side were dismissed for 275 in their second innings as Aizaz Cheema and Saeed Ajmal contributed a brace of wickets apiece.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news looking at Pakistan beating Bangladesh by 58 runs in the third and final ODI to take a 3-0 series clean sweep.
The game was dominated by spinners with all ten Bangladesh wickets falling to slow bowlers. Mohammad Hafeez finished as the leading wicket-taker in the series thanks to three wickets and on the occasion of his 200th ODI, Shoaib Malik also took three wickets to spin Bangladesh to a defeat as they were bowled out for 119 in reply to Pakistan's
Pakistan wrapped up a 3-0 One-Day International series clean sweep with a 58-run win over Bangladesh in the third and final One-Day International in Chittagong.
After Pakistan were dismissed for 177 despite Umar Akmal making a patient 57, Bangladesh could only muster two partnerships of note as they were bowled out for 119 in reply.
It is time to celebrate some of the performances of top cricketers and teams who dazzled their way to stake their claims for the 2011 Cricket World Awards.
Now you can nominate the batsman, bowler, and the team, who you think have produced outstanding performances on the cricket field either with the bat or the ball in the last 12 months.
Moving across the border into India, it was Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who excelled for the hosts in the second ODI against the West Indies, as they recorded innings of 117 and 90 not out to help India overhaul a testing West Indies total.
For Sharma, this capped off what has been a good week for him following his crucial 72 during a tense and low-scoring first ODI, and is enough to earn him this week's award.
