- Pakistan and England will play second Test today in Multan.
- Multan stadium is hosting a Test after 16 years.Â
- Pakistan’s main bowlers will miss Test today.Â
Pakistan will take on England in the second test in Multan, where the Multan Cricket Stadium will host a Test match after a gap of 16 years, Geo News reported Friday.
The sources said the pitch prepared in Multan will be helpful for spinners. Muhammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed are expected to be part of the team. The bowling attack will be a problem for Pakistan’s team management as Naseem Shah became unfit following an injury after fast bowler Haris Rauf.
Fast-bowler Mohammad Abbas is likely to replace pacer Haris Rauf in the Test series against England after he was ruled for the remainder of the matches following a grade-II strain in the right quad.
The right-arm pacer suffered an injury after he rolled over the ball while fielding on the first day of the match on Thursday. He then underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at the hospital on Friday.
The pacer’s unavailability will add to Pakistan’s woes in the remaining two matches as star bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi was already ruled out of the series due to fitness issues, leaving the bowling attack vulnerable.
Both the teams hit the ground for net practice at the Multan Cricket Stadium. In addition to the batting and bowling practice, the English players took part in physical training. The English captain and coach also inspected the pitch.
Team’s victory is top priority: Babar Azam
Addressing a press conference in Multan a day before the second Test match between Pakistan and England in Multan, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has said that his total focus is on getting the team to victory.
The team’s victory was his top priority, the skipper said, adding that he doesn’t care what other people say about him.
Unveiling his strategy for the upcoming Test, Babar said that the team would try to take advantage of the spinners on the spin-friendly pitch in Multan.
Responding to a question about the final playing eleven, the captain said that the team has not been finalised yet. He maintained that the final decision in this regard would be made after reviewing the pitch.
Ben Stokes urges players for more risk-taking
England Test captain Ben Stokes has said that they will have to adopt an even more risk-taking approach in the Multan Test to make it result-oriented, citing the delayed start and early closure of play in the second match due to fog in the morning and bad light in the evening.
The English all-rounder said that it is possible that only 300-350 overs are bowled in the Multan Test starting December 9. He added that they will have to take even more risks if days are shortened.
The visitors had surprised the home team when they boldly declared their second innings in the Rawalpindi match to extract a result on a flat pitch as the match was heading for a draw.
