Complete England Test Squad for Pakistan 2024 Tour
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a 17-member squad for the England tour to Pakistan. The three-test match series will be an exciting opportunity for both teams to perform and gain momentum. England would like to replicate the previous results of touring Pakistan and strengthen their position in the WTC 2025 points table, and on the other hand, Pakistan would like to end the wait for their home test series win.
England Test Squad Latest News
England Tour of Pakistan 2024 Test Schedule:
| Date | Match Details | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th Oct – 11th Oct | 1st Test, PAK vs ENG | Multan Cricket Stadium | 10:30 AM (IST) / 5 AM GMT / 10 AM LOCAL |
| 15th Oct – 19th Oct | 2nd Test, PAK vs ENG | National Stadium, Karachi | 10:30 AM (IST) / 5 AM GMT / 10 AM LOCAL |
| 24th Oct – 28th Oct | 3rd Test, PAK vs ENG | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium | 10:30 AM (IST) / 5 AM GMT / 10 AM LOCAL |
Complete 17-Member England Test Squad
Batsmen: Joe Root, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Harry Brook.
Wicket-Keepers: Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith, and Jordan Cox.
All-rounders: Ben Stokes (C), and Chris Woakes.
Bowlers: Gus Atkinson, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir, Matthew Potts, and Olly Stone
England Test Squad: Key Inclusions
The first key Inclusion is Zak Crawley who hasn’t featured in the team since July because of an injury. He isn’t fully fit yet but ECB expects him to be fit within the next one month. Crawley, in the last tour, did a magnificent job and scored runs quickly that provided English bowlers enough time to get Pakistan out in both innings.
The second name on the list is Jack Leach. A regular member of the team for a long time, Leach would be looking to show his experience on the tour. Being the senior spinner in the team, his role would be to guide Bashir and Ahmed on the tour.
The third interesting name is Rehan Ahmed. Stokes has a lot of belief in this young spinner. Rehan would be looking forward to this series to get some wickets under his belt and prove his selection in the team right. The young leg spinner has done a pretty good job in whatever chances he has got and the Asian conditions shouldn’t trouble him much.
Brydon Carse and Jordan Cox are two new names on the team. While Carse has done a pretty decent job in the number of opportunities he’s had in limited-overs cricket, Cox will be looking forward to making his debut in the series. However, both have done a good job in the domestic tournaments and various leagues.
England Test Squad: Players Dropped
Mark Wood’s name comes first on looking at the squad. Wood is an unfortunate case of injury-prone players. His ability to bowl longer spell continuously at 140+ and vicious bouncers will be missed by the England team. The sheer pace troubles the batsman and he would have been an x-factor in the team.
The second name is James Anderson. Anderson retired after the first test match against the recently concluded Sri Lanka series. England would love to have him on the team as assistant bowling coach given his experience all over the world. His key insights would be valuable to the team.
Dan Lawrence is another name on the list who has been overlooked. Lawrence who played in the absence of Crawley in the recent Sri Lanka series has been left out of the team because of his below-average performances in the recently concluded series. With Crawley coming back, it was an uphill task for Lawrence to be in the team.
England Test Squad: Strengths
The batting looks heavily dominated by the likes of Crawley, Duckett, Root, Stokes, Brook, Smith. Their ability to score runs at a quick rate will come in handy in the series. Pakistan pitches known for their flat surfaces will suit all these batters and favour them heavily. Each member would like to better their previous record of Pakistan tour and create new records.
The spin bowling looks stronger after the inclusion of Jack Leach. His ability to bowl longer spells and choke the opposition will be an advantage for the English team. He will be supported by Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed, the two promising young spinners.
The pace bowling department will be led by Chris Woakes whose ability to swing the bowl will come into play in the first hour of the game. He will see the likes of Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts supporting him at the other end. Overall, the bowling looks pretty settled.
England Test Squad: Weaknesses
Crawley and Stokes are not yet fully fit. If not fit, it will be a tough task for the England team to play freely. It will also be an added pressure on the likes of Joe Root and Ben Duckett who are the backbone of this England test squad’s batting line-up. Also, there will be eyes on Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook for their recent inconsistency in the Test format.
At present, England’s pace attack is going through the transition process due to the absence of Anderson and Wood from the England test squad. So, it will interesting to watch which combination of bowlers will be included along with Chris Woakes.
England’s Best Possible Playing Lineup
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jack Leach.
The upcoming series will be an exciting one for the teams and fans. Both teams will love to start the series on an entertaining note and create unforgettable memories.
