New Delhi: England will be boosted by the return of captain Ben Stokes as the England & Wales Cricket Board named a 17-strong squad for the tour of Pakistan. England will play three Test matches against Pakistan, with the first game starting on October 7. Stokes had missed Test series against Sri Lanka due to a hamstring tear that he sustained while playing in The Hundred. However, he is still continuing recovery and is hopeful to be fit before the first Test against Pakistan.
Durham’s Brydon Carse and Essex’s Jordan Cox are the only uncapped players while spinners Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach return to the Test set-up. England have named eight players – Rehan Ahmed, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and Stokes – from the squad that won 3-0 in 2022.
Pacer Josh Hull, who made his Test debut against Sri Lanka, is set to make his first away tour with the senior side while Zak Crawley has been brought back after missing out since the West Indies series in July. The 26-year-old, who fractured his right little finger at Edgbaston in July, is making significant progress in his recovery to earn selection.
The venues for the three-match series are yet to be confirmed, with an announcement expected from the Pakistan Cricket Board later this week.
England Test squad for Pakistan: Ben Stokes (c), 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.
