Next month, for England’s three-Test tour to Pakistan, Ben Stokes returns as captain while Brydon Carse may be making his debut just weeks after completing a ban for violating betting disciplines. Stokes will lead the team after missing the first two test series against Sri Lanka at home due to a hamstring injury. Also among the players named Tuesday in the squad is opener Zak Crawley who was absent from the same series due to a broken finger.
Bowler all-rounder Carse, who made his comeback in late August following a three-month suspension for historical betting offenses appears to be getting most out of Mark Wood’s elbow injury that had plagued him throughout this year.
29-year-old South Africa born Cricketer has featured in 17 one-day internationals for England finds himself in a 17-man squad together with another emerging player Jordan Cox needing to take make debut.
The tour starts on October 7, in Multan.
There will be additional tests in Karachi and Rawalpindi but renovation work ahead of next year’s champions trophy causing hitches at those venues.
Certain games could possibly be shifted to United Arab Emirates or Sri Lanka.
Dan Lawrence, who was called in at the last minute against Sri Lanka with no Crawley available, has been left out.
While Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed – two spinners who were part of England’s historic 3-0 series whitewash over Pakistan in 2022 – have made comebacks , young left-arm fast bowler Josh Hull is retained.
This season Leach was displaced as England’s main spinner by Shoaib Bashir but Stokes’ main slow bowling trio consist of them along with Leicestershire’s Ahmed
England squad for three-match Test tour of Pakistan:
Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes
