LAHORE: Pakistan and England will feature in the second Test match commencing today at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
The visiting team is leading the three Test-match series 1-0, with the third Test scheduled to take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 24th October.
Both sides Monday confirmed their playing XIs for the second Test, with England captain Ben Stokes coming back in the side after missing the first Test due to injury. For Pakistan, 29-year-old Kamran Ghulam is all set to make his Test debut tomorrow. The right-handed batter has played 59 first-class matches and scored 4,377 runs at an average of 49.17, which includes 16 centuries and 20 half-centuries.
Pakistan Playing XI in batting order:
Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mehmood
England Playing XI in alphabetical order:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matt Potts, Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir
On the other hand, the Pakistan Cricket Board said that four top players including former captain Babar Azam have been spared from the team to give them rest so that they can come back afresh.
A spokesman of the PCB said that Babar Azam is the best batsman of his generation and the PCB wants a mentally refreshed Babar to represent the Pakistan side in future. The PCB spokesman said that selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors. They had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedules. With these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and the players, it was decided to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The spokesman said that at the same time, the PCB is offering opportunities to our young players and domestic performers to showcase their skills against a formidable England side. The PCB believes that each of Haseebullah, Mehran, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali, Noman, Sajid and Zahid have the ability to rise to the occasion and serve the team in the remaining two Tests.
The spokesman said the PCB had to focus on developing the next generation of our Test players too, and this series is a chance to induct youngster in the squad.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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