Shaheen, Naseem, Jamal return to Pakistan’s playing XI for Multan Test

New Delhi: Fast-bowling trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Aamer Jamal have returned to Pakistan’s playing eleven for the first Test against England, starting at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday.

The pace trio’s return comes in the backdrop of Pakistan aiming to end its 10-match winless streak in Tests at home. While left-arm fast-bowler Shaheen and right-arm pacer Naseem didn’t play the second Test against Bangladesh at Rawalpindi, pace bowling all-rounder Jamal missed the entire series due to injury.

Pakistan’s last Test victory on home soil came against South Africa in a 95-run win at Rawalpindi in February 2021, and that drought extended with when the Shan Masood-led side were consigned to a surprise 2-0 defeat to Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.

When the two teams last met at the Multan Cricket Stadium, England secured a hard-fought 26-run victory in December 2022 and went on to complete a 3-0 series win. Multan will also host the second Test starting on October 15, before action shifts to Rawalpindi for the third and final game beginning on October 24.

England, to be captained by stand-in skipper Ollie Pope at Multan, come on the back of winning Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka at home. They will have pacer Brydon Carse making his Test debut at Multan, and see return of Jack Leach and Zak Crawley after recovering from their respective injuries.

The Tests in Multan and Rawalpindi are a part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. England are at fourth place in the WTC standing with 42.19 point percentage, while Pakistan are at 19.05 point percentage to be at eighth position.

Pakistan playing eleven: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmad

England playing eleven: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, and Shoaib Bashir

–IANS