Ben Stokes has officially announced that he will not participate in the upcoming first Test against Pakistan in Multan.
Despite this setback, the England captain is encouraging his teammates to replicate their incredible performance from two years ago when they achieved a historic clean sweep in the series.
Stokes is understandably frustrated, as this marks the fourth consecutive Test match he will miss due to a hamstring injury he sustained during the Hundred in August.
He hasn’t been able to confirm whether he’ll be ready to play in the second Test, also set in Multan, starting on October 15.
However, his leadership remains a vital presence in the locker room, and his experiences from England’s successful tour in December 2022 will be invaluable to stand-in captain Ollie Pope if needed.
Aiming for Another 3-0 Victory
“Going for a 3-0 win is definitely our goal,” Stokes stated.
“We always aim to win every game we play. While the conditions we faced last time may not be the same this time around, we have to remain adaptable and find the best strategy to secure a win.”
England is intrigued by the green-tinged pitch at Multan, recalling how Pakistan came within 27 runs of chasing down a challenging fourth-innings target of 355 just two years ago.
The team is aware that they will have to step up without their three main seamers who played crucial roles in that victory: Mark Wood is injured, Jimmy Anderson has retired, and Ollie Robinson is no longer in favor.
New Faces and Old Hands
The responsibility for this Test will fall on Chris Woakes, the only seamer in the squad with experience playing in Asia.
He will be joined by debutant Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson, who had a standout performance during the English summer.
Meanwhile, Olly Stone will return home for his wedding before rejoining the squad for the second Test.
Spinner Jack Leach makes a return after not featuring since the first Test against India in January.
He played a significant role in the victory two years ago and will partner with his Somerset teammate Shoaib Bashir.
Additionally, Joe Root is prepared to bowl off-breaks if the situation calls for it.
Adapting to New Conditions
Standing on the field yesterday, it was clear to see the challenges awaiting England in conditions vastly different from the cooler weather of their home summer.
England’s Squad
- England Team: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
- Pakistan Team (Probable): Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (captain), Babar Azam, Saud Shakil, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah.
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka), Sharfuddoula Saikat (Bangladesh)
TV Umpire: Chris Gaffaney (New Zealand)
Match Referee: Richie Richardson (West Indies)
Excitement in the Air
“It’s really exciting for the lads to come out here and face these conditions for the first time,” Stokes shared, revealing he recently signed a new ECB central contract, reportedly for two years.
“This experience will show them just how challenging Test cricket can be.”
He emphasized that while playing in Pakistan under the extreme heat of 30s and low 40s takes a lot of character, the squad is filled with individuals ready to rise to the occasion.
As England aims for a third consecutive series victory following home wins against the West Indies and Sri Lanka, Joe Root finds himself in a personal race as well, needing just 71 runs to surpass Alastair Cook’s record of 12,472 and become England’s leading Test run-scorer.
“I’d like to surpass that in this match, so I consider it somewhat irrelevant,” Root commented.
“I anticipate playing well beyond that, so it’s not my main focus. More importantly, we need to get off to a strong start.”
Pakistan’s Response
The outcome of the match may hinge on the mentality of the Pakistani team, eager to break a streak of six defeats without a win in their last ten Tests.
Despite this, they seem solid on paper, with captain Shan Masood and coach Jason Gillespie, a former Australian fast bowler, promoting an aggressive style of play.
If Babar Azam can deliver with the bat and Shaheen Shah Afridi with the ball, England will certainly face a tough challenge ahead.
This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn