LONDON – England have confirmed their playing XI for the first Test against Pakistan, set to commence on Monday (October 7) in Multan.
Durham seamer Brydon Carse will be making his Test debut. With England Captain Ben Stokes still recovering from a hamstring tear, Ollie Pope will captain the side in his absence.
Somerset spinner Jack Leach makes a return to the Test set-up for the first time since the India tour in January, while Kent opening bat Zak Crawley rejoins the team after fully recovering from a broken finger sustained during the summer.
England's XI for the first Test
Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope (C)
Joe Root
Harry Brook
Jamie Smith
Chris Woakes
Gus Atkinson
Brydon Carse (Debut)
Jack Leach
Shoaib Bashir
Both teams are scheduled to play three-match Test series in Multan and Rawalpindi from October 7 to 28.
The first match will be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium from Oct 7 to 11, while the second Test match will be played at the same venue from October 15 to 19. The third Test match will commence on 24 October and will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.