Ben Stokes out of first Pakistan Test
England will begin the first Test against Pakistan in Multan without their regular captain, Ben Stokes, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained over two months ago during a match in The Hundred.
In Stokes's absence, Ollie Pope will lead England for the first time in an away Test, marking his overall fourth consecutive match as captain. He previously guided England to a 2-1 series victory against Sri Lanka at home last month.
Fast bowler Brydon Carse, with 127 first-class wickets at an average of 33.78 from 48 matches, is set to make his Test debut. He will be joined by Chris Woakes, who is playing his first overseas Test in two-and-a-half years, and Gus Atkinson, who debuted in Tests this summer. Carse arrives in the squad after taking eight wickets in five ODIs against Australia.
This will be the first first-class game in Pakistan for all three bowlers. Zak Crawley, who scored a remarkable 122 off 111 balls to set the tone for England's record 500-plus total on the first day of the Rawalpindi Test in 2022, will return to open the batting alongside Ben Duckett. Crawley missed the three Tests against Sri Lanka due to a finger fracture he sustained while attempting a catch in the slips during the final Test against the West Indies.
England squad for the first Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir