England pacers face challenge in Pakistan conditions, says Crawley

Opener Zak Crawley said on Friday that England’s young pace attack will face a “test of character” in their upcoming Test series in Pakistan where a pitch baked by searing temperatures and surging smog levels await.

The team touched down this week in the central city of Multan, which will host the first two of a three-match Test series starting on Monday.

With training underway, temperatures are 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) and air pollution is up to 27 times the level deemed safe by the World Health Organization, according to monitoring firm IQAir.

“It will be challenging, but we have got all the things in place to counter that,” said Crawley, returning to the squad after missing a home series against Sri Lanka with a fractured finger.

“We are looking forward to that challenge,” the 26-year-old told reporters in Multan. “We have been talking about it for the last couple of weeks.”

He predicted England’s quintet of pace bowlers -- on their maiden tours of Pakistan -- would particularly face a “test of character and test of skill”.

With experienced pace duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad now retired, the baton of pace bowling is with Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes.

“These young guys have got a lot of skill,” said Crawley. “Being young brings in energy and fire in the belly as well, and I am sure they will be raring to go and do well.”

Pakistan’s international cricket performance is in dire straits, and the red-ball team has lost all five matches during the tenure of skipper Shan Masood which began last year. Last month they suffered a humiliating first-ever 2-0 home series defeat to low-ranked Bangladesh.

Crawley is one of the eight players on England’s Test squad who also played in the team beating Pakistan 3-0 in 2022, inflicting on them their first whitewash at home.

“I think we will put pressure on the opponents, like the last time,” said Crawley, citing England’s aggressive “Bazball” tactics, dubbed after the nickname of head coach Brendon McCullum.

“The finger is good and I have recovered well,” Crawley said about his recovery from injury. “I am absolutely raring to go. I can’t wait.”

The second Test starts in Multan on October 15 with the final match played in Rawalpindi from October 24.

England captain Ben Stokes is still a doubtful starter for the side’s first Test.

Stokes is recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during The Hundred and missed England’s 2-1 series victory over Sri Lanka, with Ollie Pope leading the team in his absence.

“I think he’s got to do a few more tests, but he’s been doing some running and stuff. He seems to be doing well, recovering well from his injury, (but) we don’t know just yet. We feel ready, whatever team comes out it will be a nice balance either way. We’ve got a really deep squad with plenty of options with the ball and with the bat as well,” said Crawley.

Meanwhile, England white-ball captain Jos Buttler will return to the side for their One-Day International and Twenty20 tour of the West Indies later in October after recovering from a calf injury.

The 34-year-old wicketkeeper-batter missed England’s T20 and ODI series against Australia due to the same injury. England tied the three-match T20 1-1 and lost the five-match ODI series 3-2 against Australia.

Jafer Chohan, John Turner and Dan Mousley are the three uncapped players in the 14-member squad.

“An initial 14-player squad has been selected, which will be supplemented with two players from the Test squad in Pakistan,” the ECB said in a statement.

“A decision on the two players to join the white-ball squad in the Caribbean is to be made after selection for the third Test in Rawalpindi, which begins on Thursday, Oct. 24.”

England will play the West Indies in three ODIs, starting Oct. 31, followed by five T20s beginning on Nov. 9. The three-week tour will take place in Antigua, Barbados and St Lucia.

Agencies