Pakistan and England will play their first Test of a three-match test series on October 7, 2024, at Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan. It is anticipated to begin at 11:00 a.m.
England claimed a 3-0 series victory during their last visit. Even in the absence of their captain Ben Stokes, they will maintain their ultra-aggressive strategy, which has proven effective since the BazBall era commenced in late spring 2022. Pakistan’s recent struggles at home add to the challenges for their coach, Australian Jason Gillespie, who has a lot to address.
With ENG in fourth place and PAK in ninth, both sides need to win to improve their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship in addition to getting the series going correctly.
PAK vs ENG Team Preview & Squads
Pakistan
This Pakistan team possesses more talent than many other Test sides currently, yet they have struggled to perform cohesively in a home Test since February 2021! Although Babar Azam hasn’t performed to his normal high standards in this format, he has the ability to do so. Additionally, with skipper Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique in the top three, scoring runs shouldn’t be difficult. In the same way, PAK needs to score a lot in their opening innings because Saud Shakeel averages 56.30 from his 23 Test innings.
Both Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, who are both very fast bowlers, will provide the speed with the ball. The spin attack will be spearheaded by Abrar Ahmed, who gave England a lot of trouble in 2022.
Pakistan Squads
Pakistan
Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Afridi, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shan Masood, Aamer Jamal, Babar Azam, Noman Ali, Naseem Shah, Saud Shakeel, Mir Hamza, Abrar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Huraira.
England
England returns for this series two years later with significantly higher expectations. However, the reality is that they are not at full strength in terms of batting, bowling, or leadership!
Good news for the tourists: opener Zak Crawley is back in the lineup after missing the home series against Sri Lanka because of a broken finger. Though it’s unclear if he’s entirely recovered, ENG will be happy to see Crawley back at the top of the order with Ben Duckett. Joe Root, who has been playing brilliantly, will carry a lot of the load, although the tail does appear a little lengthy with Jamie Smith at six and Chris Woakes at seven.
For the first time since the opening Test in India earlier this year, left-arm spinner Jack Leach will be available to Captain Ollie Pope, and his collaboration with Shoaib Bashir will be essential.
England Squads
England
Gus Atkinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Zak Crawley, Brydon Carse, Chris Woakes, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Matthew Potts, Ollie Pope, Rehan Ahmed, Harry Brook, Shoaib Bashir, Jordan Cox.
We anticipate that both captains will have an easy time choosing at the toss because of the extremely hot weather predicted for the first day. Given how hot it is for the next five days, the pitch will undoubtedly collapse, and we expect both captains to opt to bat first.
The weather for this Test is predicted to be quite hot, with Monday being the hottest day of the week! It is predicted to get as high as 37 degrees by the end of the day, which could cause fatigue in bowlers and fielders. No rain is anticipated from day one to day five in this Test.
It is anticipated that the first innings total will not surpass 310, as the pitch is not expected to be the fastest ever witnessed in Pakistan for a Test match.
Pakistan vs England Head-to-Head Stats of Last 5 Matches
They played five times, with ENG winning three and PAK winning none.
Pakistan vs England Prediction
Event
Pakistan
England
Toss Winner
–
England
Player of the Match
–
Zak Crawley
Top Run Scorer
Babar Azam
Zak Crawley
Top Wicket Taker
Shaheen Afridi
Jack Leach
Most Sixes
Babar Azam
Zak Crawley
Predicted Score
290+
300+
Win Probability
45%
55%
Cricket analysts predict England has a 55% chance of winning.
Disclaimer: This cricket prediction is based on the author’s insights and analysis. Readers should consider the points discussed and draw their own conclusions.
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