Ben Stokes is unavailable for the first Pakistan Test and Brydon Carse is set to make his debut
England will face Pakistan in the first Test in Multan without their regular captain, Ben Stokes, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained over two months ago during a match in The Hundred.
Ollie Pope will lead the team in Stokes’s absence, marking his first away Test as captain and his fourth consecutive match in charge.
Last month, he guided England to a 2-1 series victory over Sri Lanka at home.
Fast bowler Brydon Carse will make his Test debut after taking eight wickets in five ODIs against Australia.
He will be joined in the fast bowling lineup by Chris Woakes, who is playing his first overseas Test in two and a half years, and Gus Atkinson, who debuted this summer.
This marks the first time all three will play a first-class match in Pakistan.
Zak Crawley, who scored a remarkable 122 off 111 balls on the first day of the Rawalpindi Test in 2022, will reunite with Ben Duckett at the top of the order.
Crawley missed the three Tests against Sri Lanka after fracturing his finger while attempting a catch in the slips during the last Test against the West Indies.
The spin department will feature regulars Shoaib Bashir and left-arm orthodox Jack Leach.
During a training session on Saturday, Stokes did shuttle runs with England’s strength and conditioning coach Peter Sim before batting in the nets.
He has emphasized that he will not rush his return, given the high risk of re-injury associated with hamstring issues.
The second Test, also in Multan, is scheduled to begin on October 15, and England hopes it will mark Stokes’s return to international cricket.
The first Test starts on Monday, with the third Test taking place in Rawalpindi on October 24.
England squad for the first Test:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Ollie Pope (Captain) |
| Zak Crawley |
| Ben Duckett |
| Joe Root |
| Harry Brook |
| Jamie Smith |
| Chris Woakes |
| Gus Atkinson |
| Brydon Carse (Debut) |
| Jack Leach |
| Shoaib Bashir |
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