Ben Stokes’ Fitness Update and Pakistan vs England Test Series Changes
In Multan, Pakistan, former England pace legend and current bowling coach James Anderson shared a fitness update on England’s Test captain Ben Stokes. Stokes, who suffered a hamstring injury in August during The Hundred, is making a comeback. Although he looks strong in the nets, he will miss the Multan Test as he hasn’t fully recovered. Ollie Pope led England in Stokes’ absence during their 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka.
Anderson expressed optimism about Stokes’ return, noting, “He looks great. He has worked really hard on his fitness and is looking as strong as I’ve ever seen him… Knowing Ben, once he gets into the game, there will be no stopping him.” The second Test will use the same pitch as the first, which may favor spinners like Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir.
In the first Test, England made history by taking a first innings lead of over 200 runs after conceding over 550. Pakistan, despite scoring over 500 runs, lost by an innings. England’s 823/7d was the fourth-highest Test innings total ever. This victory moved England to fourth in the World Test Championship standings, while Pakistan fell to last place.
Following the defeat, Pakistan’s selection committee made significant changes to their squad for the second Test. Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Sarfaraz Ahmed are out. The new squad includes Shan Masood as captain and Saud Shakeel as vice-captain, among others.
| Pakistan Squad for Second and Third Tests |
|---|
| Shan Masood (captain) |
| Saud Shakeel (vice-captain) |
| Aamer Jamal |
| Abdullah Shafique |
| Haseebullah (wicket-keeper) |
| Kamran Ghulam |
| Mehran Mumtaz |
| Mir Hamza |
| Mohammad Ali |
| Mohammad Huraira |
| Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper) |
| Noman Ali |
| Saim Ayub |
| Sajid Khan |
| Salman Ali Agha |
| Zahid Mehmood |
Doubts Revealed
Ben Stokes -: Ben Stokes is a famous cricketer from England. He is known for his all-round abilities, meaning he is good at both batting and bowling.
James Anderson -: James Anderson is a well-known English cricketer and one of the best fast bowlers in the world. He is currently serving as England’s bowling coach.
Hamstring injury -: A hamstring injury is when the muscles at the back of your thigh get hurt. It can make it hard to run or play sports.
Multan Test -: The Multan Test refers to a cricket match played in Multan, a city in Pakistan. Test matches are a type of cricket game that can last up to five days.
World Test Championship -: The World Test Championship is a tournament for Test cricket teams from around the world. Teams earn points for winning matches, and the best teams compete in a final to become the champion.
Shan Masood -: Shan Masood is a Pakistani cricketer who plays as a batsman. He has been chosen as the captain for the upcoming Test matches against England.
Spinners -: Spinners are a type of bowler in cricket who make the ball spin when they bowl. This can make it tricky for batsmen to hit the ball.
