MULTAN: England captain Ben Stokes has been included in the squad for the second Test against Pakistan, which begins in Multan on Tuesday, following his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Stokes, who sustained the injury two months ago, missed England’s home series against Sri Lanka and the first Test against Pakistan, which the visitors won by an innings. His return strengthens the side as England aims to continue their winning momentum.
Also returning to the lineup is Durham seamer Matthew Potts, who last played during the Lord’s Test against Sri Lanka in August. Seamers Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes have been rested for this match.
Speaking ahead of the second Test, Stokes expressed confidence in his fitness, stating: “I’m obviously playing as a third seamer. I’m available to bowl, and when the moment feels right, I have no doubt I can make an impact.”
The 33-year-old skipper revealed that he had considered playing purely as a batsman but ultimately dismissed the idea. “I had written a few teams down with me, not bowling, and it just didn’t work,” Stokes admitted.
England won the first Test in Multan by an innings and 47 runs, with Ollie Pope captaining the side in Stokes’ absence. The second Test will be played on the same pitch used for the first—a highly unusual decision in Test cricket.
In the first match, Harry Brook’s 317 and Joe Root’s 262 powered England to a massive victory, leaving Pakistan stunned despite posting over 550 runs in their first innings—a first in the 147-year history of Test cricket.
Under pressure, Pakistan is looking to break a home losing streak of 11 Tests as they aim for a series-leveling win. They have made four changes, including debuting batsman Kamran Ghulam, who set a national record with 1,249 runs in the 2020-21 domestic season. Their spin attack will feature Noman Ali, Zahid Mahmood, and Sajid Khan.
Pakistan’s key players Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah have been left out, while spinner Abrar Ahmed remains unavailable due to illness.
Playing XI:
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.
England: Ben Stokes (captain), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
