Pakistan unchanged for third Test against England

Pakistan on Wednesday announced an unchanged playing XI for the third and final Test against England starting from October 24 in Rawalpindi.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the team’s selection in an official statement on X.

The decision comes on the back of a resounding 152-run victory in the second Test where Pakistan’s spin-heavy bowling attack tamed England’s aggressive style of play.

The spin duo Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were the heroes of the game. They shared all 20 wickets of the opposition among themselves, securing a morale-boosting win for Pakistan, and setting the stage for an exciting series decider.

Satisfied with the results, the home side asked curators to replicate a Multan-like turning track in Rawalpindi and decided to go in with the same squad.

Interestingly, the Rawalpindi wicket is usually livelier than Multan and offers more bounce and carry. However, curators have installed industrial fans and commercial heaters to dry it out and open cracks to assist spinners.

Watching the preparations, England have also named three specialist spinners in their side, recalling Rehan Ahmed for the final showdown.

Pakistan playing XI: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (C), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (VC), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood.

England playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.