As Pakistan gears up for their three-match Test series against England, red-ball skipper Shan Masood has confirmed the national side’s playing XI for the first match, set to commence at Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday. During a press conference, Masood emphasized the team’s preparedness, stating, “This is our best playing XI […] Aamir Jamal’s inclusion will be beneficial. We have maintained our batting line-up to ensure consistency.”
The series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, and Pakistan is eager to bounce back following a disappointing whitewash against Bangladesh last month. Masood acknowledged England’s recent success, having secured a 2-1 victory against Sri Lanka in September, highlighting the need for Pakistan to play strong, focused cricket on the field.
In discussing England’s skipper Ben Stokes’ unavailability for the first Test, Masood noted, “Stokes’s absence will definitely affect England, but their playing XI is still strong; he is one of the world’s best all-rounders.” He also expressed respect for England’s bowling attack, emphasizing the need for his team to adapt their strategy over the five days of the match. “We have come close to losing in the past [….] A Test match is a five-day game, so you can’t have one strategy,” Masood said, stressing the importance of a rotation policy for fast bowlers to manage workloads effectively.
Meanwhile, England captain Ollie Pope discussed the unique conditions in Multan, suggesting they would favor both spinners and seamers. “It will be interesting to see how the pitch plays out […] The [team] plan depends on the pitch and will be chalked out accordingly,” he remarked. Pope emphasized the importance of consistency from his bowlers, highlighting that England has two regular spinners, which may reduce the need to rely on Joe Root’s bowling skills.
“The Pakistan team, though not playing well recently, is a tough team nevertheless [and] with bowlers like Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, we have to play good cricket,” Pope concluded, acknowledging the challenge ahead.
Playing XIs for the First Test:
Pakistan: 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: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir
