Tag: Pakistan vs England

MULTAN: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday, unveiled their Playing XI, including fast bowling all-rounder Aamir Jamal, for the first Test against England, set to take place in Multan from 7-11 October.

This will be Jamal’s first Test appearance since the Sydney Test against Australia in January earlier this year.

He was initially named in Pakistan’s squad for the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh but was released ahead of the commencement of the series.

The all-rounder was out of action due to a back injury, sustained during his stint with Warwickshire in the County Championship in June.

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The Shan Masood-led team has persisted with the same batting lineup, that played in the series against Bangladesh. Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub will open the innings, followed by the skipper and star batter Babar Azam.

Vice-captain Saud Shakeel further bolsters the team’s middle order which also features wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha.

Pakistan Playing XI: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmad

England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir

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LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Saturday, unveiled their Playing XI for the first Test of the three-match series against Pakistan, scheduled to commence on Monday at Multan Cricket Stadium.

The touring side will be without their regular captain Ben Stokes, who has been sidelined from the opening Test due to a lingering hamstring injury.

Consequently, middle-order batter Ollie Pope, who led England to a 2-1 series victory over Sri Lanka, has been named England captain for the first Test against Pakistan.

England’s Playing XI marks the return of left-arm off-spinner Jack Leach and opening Zak Crawley.

Leach last represented England in January this year while Crawley has been sidelined since the summer due to a broken finger.

Furthermore, Durham seamer Brydon Carse will be making his Test debut.

England enter the three-match away Test series as favourites, mainly due to their recent series triumphs over West Indies (3-0) and Sri Lanka (2-1) at home, while Pakistan, last month, suffered a 2-0 series whitewash by Bangladesh.

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Despite being the favourites, England’s senior batter Joe Root insisted that the touring side will not take anything for granted, acknowledging Pakistan’s “ability and skill level”.

“We know how good Pakistan is as a team and the ability and skill level they have. You got to have full respect for that,” Root told a press conference.

“In their own conditions, in particular, they’ve got a number of players that are match winners and that are capable of doing very special things in test cricket.”

England Playing XI for first Test against Pakistan:

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.

Pakistan Squad for first Test:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mahmood.

READ: ‘He is never out of form’: England batter calls Babar Azam a major threat

Former England cricketer and commentator David Lloyd has raised questions over the leadership capabilities of Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood, drawing parallels with legendary captains such as Imran Khan.

During an interview with a local sports platform, Lloyd opened up about Shan’s captaincy and shared his doubts about the leadership potential of the Pakistan captain.

“Shan Masood is a really nice guy but he is a reactive captain, not a proactive captain,” Lloyd stated.

“I think you’ve got to have a bit of an edge to you like [Pakistan’s former captains] Imran Khan and Javed Miandad. And Inzamam-ul-Haq, Wasim Akram or Misbah-ul-Haq.

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“Now I’m not sure if Shan Masood has got that because I have seen his captaincy for Yorkshire. And I think he is a little bit behind the pace.”

Llyod emphasized the challenge posed the Ben Stokes-led England, which plays the aggressive style of cricket. He suggested that it is important for Shan to be proactive in order to effectively deal with the threat posed by the Bazball style of play.

“Playing against Bazball you have to be proactive because Stokes would try to push them back and you should be proactive,” he added.

It’s worth noting that the upcoming three-match Test series against England will be Shan Masood’s third assignment as Pakistan captain. In his last two series, Pakistan suffered heavy defeats, being whitewashed by Australia and Bangladesh.

READ: ‘He is never out of form’: England batter calls Babar Azam a major threat

England batter Zak Crawley has spoken highly of former Pakistan captain Babar Azam and identified him as a significant danger leading up to the upcoming Test series, commencing on 7th October in Multan.

Babar has been under tight scrutiny due to his below-par performances recently, the highlight of which was his dismal run in the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh last month.

He managed a meagre 64 runs in four innings during the Bangladesh series, consequently, crashing out of the top ten list in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.

He last crossed the 50-run mark in red-ball cricket back in December 2022 against New Zealand with a marathon 161-run knock. Since then, he has played 16 innings with a highest score of 39 against Sri Lanka in July 2023.

However, Zak Crawley, during the press conference after England’s practice session in Multan on Friday, stated that Babar Azam is not out of form.

“I would never say that Babar Azam is out of form. The way he plays is beautiful, he is a graceful player,” said Crawley.

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The 26-year-old batter further shared that England’s bowlers have to be at their best to get Babar out in the upcoming series.

“He’s a class act and we have to be at our best to get him out,” he added.

It’s worth noting that Babar Azam on Tuesday, stunned the cricket fraternity when he announced that he was stepping down from the role of Pakistan’s white-ball captain with immediate effect.

In a detailed statement, issued on his social media platforms, the right-handed batter shared he made the decision to focus on his “playing role”.

Meanwhile, Zak Crawley also acknowledged the strength of Pakistan’s batting lineup and emphasized that England would not be underestimating them.

“As a batter myself, I know that form comes and goes, but class never leaves you. That batting line-up of Pakistan is a class batting line-up. We don’t underestimate them,” he said.

“There are guys in there who can take the game away from you. So, we are going to be at our best to get them out and win the series,” he concluded.

READ: England captain Ben Stokes doubtful for first Test against Pakistan

England received a significant boost ahead of the first of the three-match Test series against Pakistan as top-order batter Zak Crawley has revealed that he is ready to return to the action.

Crawley was out of the action due to a fractured finger. He sustained the injury while attempting a catch in the last Test of the three-match series against West Indies back in July.

The top-order batter missed the home Test series against Sri Lanka due to the injury, but he declared himself fit on Friday for the first Test against Pakistan, which will start on 7 October.

“The finger is all right. It’s as good as it could be at this stage,” Zak Crawley said after England’s first training session in Multan on Friday.

“I’ve recovered well from it. It was a nasty break at the time, but I’ve recovered well and I don’t feel it at all while I’m batting. In the field, I haven’t done too much. I’m trying to rest it, but I did a few catches there [in training] and it feels fine.”

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However, he revealed that the doctor has advised him against fielding at slips to avoid the reoccurrence of the injury.

“I won’t go at slip, just from advice from the doctor. I feel like I could, but I’m just trying to follow the professional advice,” he shared.

“It feels back to normal now, so I’m looking forward to cracking on… I feel brand new. I’m looking forward to getting out there. I’ve certainly missed it, so I can’t wait to get out there again with the boys.”

The three-match series between Pakistan and England will run from October 7 to 28 and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

Squads:

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

England: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

READ: England captain Ben Stokes doubtful for the first Test against Pakistan

England Test captain Ben Stokes’ participation in the first Test against Pakistan is doubtful as he is yet to achieve full fitness.

The 33-year-old all-rounder suffered a hamstring injury while playing for the Northern Superchargers during The Hundred 2024 back in August.

He tore his left hamstring which kept him away from cricket for the rest of the summer season, including the home Test series against Sri Lanka.

However, Ben Stokes was named in the squad for the Pakistan tour owing to his progress in recovery. He resumed light batting training in late August and participated in lengthy net sessions in September.

After reaching Pakistan, he batted for around half an hour during England’s first training session in Multan on Friday. He also bowled with a short run-up, but as of now, there is no confirmation of his participation in the first Test.

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England top-order batter Zak Crawley, while talking to media after the first training session, shed light on Stokes’ recovery.

“He seems to be going well, recovering well from his injury,” he said. “We don’t know just yet. I think he’s got to do a few more tests, but he’s been doing some running and stuff.”

The three-match series between Pakistan and England will run from October 7 to 28 and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

Squads:

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

England: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday, announced the star-studded commentary panel for the upcoming three-match Test series between Pakistan and England.

Former England Test captains David Gower, Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain will return to Pakistan as commentators for this series, having previously covered the three Tests between Pakistan and England in December 2022. They will be joined by Test cricketer Ian Ward as the voices from England.

The Pakistani voices include former Test captains Aamir Sohail and Ramiz Raja, Test cricketer Bazid Khan and former Pakistan women’s team captain Urooj Mumtaz. Zainab Abbas will serve as the series presenter.

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The three-match series between Pakistan and England will run from October 7 to 28 and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

It’s worth noting that the second Test, which was originally planned at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 15-19 October, will now be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

The match has been shifted as the National Bank Stadium is undergoing a major facelift for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The remaining two Tests will be played as originally planned, i.e. 7-11 October in Multan and 24-28 October in Rawalpindi.

Squads:

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

England: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced the match officials for the upcoming Test series against England, starting on 7 October.

West Indies’ Sir Richie Richardson, who is a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, will lead the playing control teams for the three ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 fixtures between England and Pakistan.

Both teams are scheduled to play a three-match Test series in Multan and Rawalpindi from 7 to 28 October.

The first Test match will be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium from 7 to 11 October, while the second Test match will be played at the same venue from 15 to 19 October.

The third Test match will commence on 24 October and will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

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For the first Test, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena and Bangladesh’s Sharfuddoula Saikat – both ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will perform duties as on-field umpires.

New Zealand’s Christopher Gaffaney, also part of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will be the third umpire, while Pakistan’s Asif Yaqoob (ICC International Panel of Umpires) will act as the fourth umpire.

For the second Test, Kumar Dharmasena will be joined by Christopher Gaffaney for on-field umpires’ duties, while Sharfuddoula Saikat will perform the duties of the third umpire.

Pakistan’s Rashid Riaz, also part of the ICC International Panel of Umpires, will be the fourth umpire.

For the third Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Christopher Gaffaney and Sharfuddoula Saikat will perform the duties of on-field umpires, while Kumar Dharmasena will serve as a third umpire.

Pakistan’s Faisal Aafreedi, who is part of the ICC International Panel of Umpires, will be the fourth umpire.

READ: Buttler named in England squad for white-ball series against West Indies

MULTAN: The England cricket team arrived here in the wee hours of Wednesday to play a three-match Test series against Pakistan, starting on 7 October.

The Ben Stokes-led team will rest on 2 and 3 October before hitting the nets on 4 October to prepare for the three-match Test series.

The three-match series between Pakistan and England will run from October 7 to 28 and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

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It’s worth noting that the second Test, which was originally planned at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 15-19 October, will now be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

The match has been shifted as the National Bank Stadium is undergoing a major facelift for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The remaining two Tests will be played as originally planned, i.e. 7-11 October in Multan and 24-28 October in Rawalpindi.

Squads:

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

England: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

READ: Reason behind Babar Azam’s decision to quit white-ball captaincy revealed

Former pacer Stuart Broad on Tuesday, shared that he wants England to play “fast-paced cricket” amid their three-match away Test against Pakistan.

Broad, while speaking to the media on the sidelines of the launch of Inside Lord’s, a Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) new digital platform, asserted that England have the players who can counter the spin-threat in Pakistan but insisted Ben Stokes-led side to continue with their brand of cricket.

“I think the style will work in Pakistan, for sure,” Broad said.

“I think they’re really positive and aggressive, they can find the boundary and don’t get tied down by spin.

“England will have to play fast-paced cricket to force results over there because you generally do need five days to make something happen.”

Stuart Broad also commented on Pakistan’s recent struggles at home, the highlight of which was their 2-0 Test series defeat against Bangladesh but remained cautious that the home side may exploit England’s inexperienced fast-bowling unit.

“Pakistan have not been playing the best cricket. They’ve been struggling, so England should see that as a positive and go there trying to apply pressure to that team as soon as they possibly can,” Stuart Broad said.

“But we always know Pakistan, they’ve got world-class talent and players that can win a game on their own. It won’t be an easy challenge.

“The surfaces (in Pakistan) were a bit slower and turned, but in their recent series they’ve had a bit of green grass on and carried through a bit more.

“I don’t know which way Pakistan will lean on their pitches – they might leave a bit of grass on, seeing an inexperienced bowling group from England.”

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The three-match series between Pakistan and England will run from October 7 to 28 and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

It’s worth noting that the second Test, which was originally planned at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 15-19 October, will now be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

The match has been shifted as the National Bank Stadium is undergoing a major facelift for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The remaining two Tests will be played as originally planned, i.e. 7-11 October in Multan and 24-28 October in Rawalpindi.

Squads:

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

England: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

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