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Sports: The Pakistani cricket team will be looking to end their poor run in red-ball cricket when they host England in the first Test match in Multan starting on Monday, October 7. Pakistan remain without a Test win at home since February 2021 and will enter this series after an embarrassing 0-2 series loss against Bangladesh.
England will be without their skipper Ben Stokes for the opening match who hasn't recovered from his previous knee injury. England lost against Sri Lanka in their last Test match but will welcome back their key players Zak Crawley and Jack Leach for the Pakistan series.
Shan Masood-led Pakistan last won a Test match against the Three Lions in 2018. England registered an impressive 26-run win in their last Test match against Pakistan played in Multan in December 2022 and have won five of their last seven overall meetings.
Multan Cricket Stadium Pitch Report
The surface at Multan Cricket Stadium offers a batting-friendly surface in red-ball cricket and fans can expect a high-scoring match. There will be very little movement on the ball and batters can expect a flat wicket throughout five days. Fast bowlers will likely get some help with a new ball in the early stages but it will be a batters' game in the first Test.
Multan Cricket Stadium Test numbers
Matches played - 6
Matches won batting first - 3
Matches won bowling first - 2
Average 1st innings score - 333
Average 2nd innings score - 389
Average 3rd innings score - 265
Average 4th innings score - 255
Highest total - 675/5 by India vs Pakistan
Lowest total - 134/10 by Bangladesh vs Pakistan
PAK vs ENG 1st Test Playing XIs
Pakistan Playing XI - Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Abrar Ahmad.
England Playing XI - Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
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