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Former England cricketer Michael Atherton said that the English team visiting Pakistan for the Test series from the side that played a series against the Asian side back in 2022 is a very different side and termed its pace attack as "inexperienced and raw".
Pakistan will be hosting England for a three-match Test series, with first one at Multan from Monday onwards. The side does not feature pacers like James Anderson and Mark Wood, who previously played the 2022 series which England won 3-0. Also, skipper Ben Stokes will miss the first Test as he continues recovery from a hamstring injury sustained back in August during the Hundred in UK. Ollie Pope will continue leading the side in his absence after series win over Sri Lanka by 2-1. An experienced Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse will form the pace bowling attack. Speaking as quoted by Sky Sports, Atherton said, " It is two years since England were last here in Multan, the City of Saints. It is a very different time of year, though. The Test match was in December two years ago, it is October now and therefore much, much hotter, with temperatures nudging 40 degrees in England's practice days ahead of this Test match." "It is a very different England team, as well. No Ben Stokes, he has failed to recover from the hamstring injury he sustained in the summer. "Ollie Pope continues to deputise for him, and in the absence of Jimmy Anderson, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson, it feels like a much more inexperienced and raw pace bowling attack," he concluded. Atherton said that the Pakistan team is also under new management under skipper Shan Masood and coach Jason Gillespie and would be looking to end their losing streak at home, which includes two setbacks against Bangladesh. "Pakistan are under new management as well. They have a new captain in Shan Masood, a new coach in former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie, but they've lost their last five Test matches, including two at home against Bangladesh," he said. "They willl be looking to stop the rot against England in this series. As ever, when England play Pakistan, it should be an absolutely fascinating series," he concluded. England is at the fourth place in ICC World Test Championship standings with eight wins, seven losses and a draw after series wins against West Indies and Sri Lanka. Pakistan are eighth in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 standings after their series loss to Bangladesh at home. The Shan Masood-led side are under pressure heading into the first Test against England, with their last win in a home Test dating back to February 2021. Pakistan have not won a home Test match in their last 10 attempts, which includes a 3-0 series loss to England in 2022. England's playing eleven against Pakistan in the Multan Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir. Pakistan playing XI for the first Test against England: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed. (ANI)
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