Sky Sports Cricket’s Michael Atherton says to expect “a very different England” in their Test series against Pakistan, labelling Brendon McCullum’s squad more “inexperienced and raw.”
England’s ‘Bazball’ brand of cricket blossomed on its first overseas outing in a 3-0 series clean sweep vs Pakistan two years ago, sweeping their hosts in spectacular fashion and breaking a fair few records along the way.
The first Test between the two sides in another three-Test series starts in Multan on Monday, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am Monday (first ball 6.30am).
“It’s two years since England were last here in Multan, the City of Saints. It’s a very different time of year, though,” Atherton said.
“The Test match was in December two years ago, it’s October now and therefore much, much hotter, with temperatures nudging 40 degrees in England’s practice days ahead of this Test match.
“It’s a very different England team, as well. No Ben Stokes, he’s failed to recover from the hamstring injury he sustained in the summer.
“Ollie Pope continues to deputise for him, and in the absence of Jimmy Anderson, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson, it feels like a much more inexperienced and raw pace bowling attack.
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Monday 7th October 5:30am
“Pakistan are under new management as well. They have a new captain in Shan Masood, a new coach in former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie, but they’ve lost their last five Test matches, including two at home against Bangladesh.
“They’ll be looking to stop the rot against England in this series. As ever, when England play Pakistan, it should be an absolutely fascinating series.”
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Nasser Hussain analyses England’s bowlers ahead of their Test series against Pakistan
Carse to make England Test debut
Durham seamer Brydon Carse is set to make his Test debut in Multan.
Carse impressed in the one-day series against Australia and comes in to fill the fast-bowler hole left by Wood, who has been ruled out for the rest of the year with an elbow injury.
Spinner Jack Leach is also included in the XI, the spinner making his return to the Test set-up for the first time since the India tour in January.
Zak Crawley, as expected, rejoins the team after fully recovering from a broken finger.,
“I think someone like Carse can do that Mark Wood role,” former England captain Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports News. “I was impressed with him in the white-ball cricket.
“He’s got a lot of pace and if they’re the flat pitches that England played on last time, then you’re going to need that express pace as well as skill, and Carse provides that.”
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Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Urooj Mumtaz discussed the pitch conditions England can expect against Pakistan
Nasser is also confident in Leach ahead of his Test return.
“I was watching some of the Somerset games towards the end of the summer and Leach looked like he had really, really good rhythm in those,” he added.
“He’s obviously missed out because of Bashir, his Somerset team-mate, going past him but I think he’s done a really good job for Somerset and he had a good tour out there last time.”
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Pakistan captain Shan Masood says his side will look to regain form as they prepare to take on England in a three-Test series
First Test: Multan – October 7-11
Second Test: Multan – October 15-19
Third Test: Rawalpindi – October 24-28
Every match from the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup is also live on Sky Sports from October 3-20 with Australia aiming for a third straight title and seventh overall, and England seeking to triumph for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2009.
Watch the first Test between Pakistan and England in Multan, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am Monday (first ball 6.30am).