Pakistan’s national Test squad has arrived in England for a three-match Test series against the hosts. The Pakistan team will take a two-day break on August 8 and 9 before beginning preparations for the series. The national Test side will resume training on August 10 at the County Ground in Beckenham. The practice session is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am local time.
As part of their preparations, Pakistan will play a four-day practice match against a Select XI from August 12 to 15. The practice game will provide the team with an opportunity to acclimatise to English conditions and fine-tune their preparations ahead of the three-Test series.
The series gets underway with the opening Test at Headingley in Leeds on August 19, marking the start of a crucial red-ball contest between the two sides.
Earlier, Pakistan defeated the West Indies by eight wickets in the second Test to level the two-match series 1-1. Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a 16-member squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan.
England will be led by experienced batter Joe Root. The 16-member squad includes Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith, and Josh Tongue.
Pakistan entered the England series on the back of a two-match Test series against the West Indies that ended in a 1-1 draw. The series nevertheless provided a significant boost, with Pakistan securing their first Test victory away from home since July 2023 and gaining valuable momentum ahead of their challenging tour of England.
The squad brings together a blend of experience and emerging talent. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, opener Abdullah Shafique and spinner Sajid Khan are among the experienced campaigners, while Saud Shakeel has also been included in the squad, subject to fitness clearance.
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