Stokes-led England to arrive on October 2

LAHORE: England’s cricket team, led by Ben Stokes, is set to arrive in Multan on October 2 for a three-match Test series against Pakistan.

The team comprises 17 players and will be accompanied by 17 officials. They will be travelling via Doha, arriving on Wednesday afternoon. Eight players from the current squad, Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, were part of the team that won 3-0 against Pakistan in 2022. Stokes will once again be leading the team.

Six players from the previous Test series, Azhar Ali, Haris Rauf, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Wasim Junior, and Mohammad Ali, have been replaced by Saim Ayub, Mohammad Harira, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mir Hamza.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also added leg-spinner Zahid Mehmood to the pre-Test camp in Multan. The final squad will be trimmed to 15 players for the first Test, which starts on October 7.

Teams: Pakistan squad for first Test against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mehmood.

England squad for Pakistan Test series: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

Revised schedule: October 7-11: First Test, Multan

October 15-19: Second Test, Multan

October 24-28: Third Test, Rawalpindi.