England will start their first Test against Pakistan in Multan without their regular captain, Ben Stokes, who is recovering from a hamstring injury sustained over two months ago during The Hundred. As Stokes continues his recovery, Ollie Pope will lead the side for the first time away from home, marking his fourth Test as captain. Pope previously led England to a 2-1 series victory against Sri Lanka.
Fast bowler Brydon Carse is set to make his Test debut in the match. Carse has 127 first-class wickets from 48 matches at an average of 33.78. He is joined by Chris Woakes, who will be playing his first overseas Test in over two years, and Gus Atkinson, who debuted in Test cricket earlier this summer. This will be the first time Carse, Woakes, and Atkinson will play a first-class game in Pakistan.
Zak Crawley will return to the top of the order, partnering with Ben Duckett. Crawley, who scored a brisk 122 off 111 balls in the opening day of the Rawalpindi Test in 2022, missed the series against Sri Lanka due to a fractured finger sustained during the West Indies series.
In the spin department, England will rely on off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and left-arm orthodox spinner Jack Leach. Stokes, although absent from the squad, took part in a training session where he was seen doing shuttle runs and batting in the nets. He has made it clear that he won’t rush his comeback to avoid any reoccurrence of the hamstring injury.
The second Test of the series, also in Multan, is scheduled for October 15, where England will hope for Stokes’s return. The series concludes with the third Test in Rawalpindi, starting on October 24.
England Squad for First Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse (Debut), Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.