PAK vs ENG Match Preview
Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique will be the key players for Pakistan as far as the batting is concerned. Both have had an excellent year as far as test matches are concerned. Babar Azam has scored 661 runs in 9 innings, while Shafique has 586 runs against his name. Imam ul Haq to has scored 2 centuries this year.
Mohammed Rizwan hasn’t been as effective as he is in the limited over matches but he can still play an important role. Young Naseem Shah will be the mainstay of Pakistan’s bowling line-up and will be supported by Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim Jr., both of whom will be making their test debuts.
If Abrar Ahmed plays, and we think he will, he could be another excellent pick for this match.
The England team will be heavily dependent on Joe Root and Ben Stokes. Root is currently the top-ranked test batsman in the world, with 5 centuries and a total of 973 runs in 2022.
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett could open the batting for England in this game. Liam Livingstone, who has been in great form in the limited overs, has been included in the squad, along with young all-rounder Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks.
Veteran pacer James Anderson will be the key bowler for England, along with Jack Leach.
Weather Report
The weather is expected to be mostly clear with no chance of rain. The temperature will hover between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The ground at Rawalpindi is a batter’s paradise as there is hardly any grass on the pitch. So skewed it is in the favor of the batsmen that it was awarded a demerit point and deemed `below average´ by the ICC after the latest game played here between Pakistan and Australia. However, the PCB claims to have made amends, and we can expect a more even contest between the bat and the ball.
Notable stats
Joe Root’s Dream Run
Joe Root is the second-highest run-getter in test cricket in the year 2022. He has scored 973 runs at an average of 51 in 22 innings.
Naseem Shah's Superb Bowling
Naseem Shah made his test debut in 2019 and has soon become Pakistan’s go-to bowler. He has taken 33 wickets in 13 tests and is the second-youngest player to take a 5-wicket haul in tests.
Team News
Shaheen Afridi will be missing this game due to an injury. Hasan Ali, Yasir Shah, and Fawad Alam too have been dropped. Haris Rauf could get his first test cap along with Mohammad Ali Jr. For England, Mark Wood has been ruled out and Rehan Ahmed could become the youngest English player to make a debut in tests.
PAK vs ENG Probable 11
PAK Playing 11
- Babar Azam (C)
- Abdullah Shafique
- Mohammad Rizwan (Wk)
- Imam ul-Haq
- Naseem Shah
- Nauman Ali
- Agha Salman
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Haris Rauf
- Azhar Ali
- Abrar Ahmed
ENG Playing 11
- Joe Root
- Ben Stokes (C)
- Ben Foakes (Wk)
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Liam Livingstone
- Harry Brook
- James Anderson
- Jack Leach
- Rehan Ahmed
- Ollie Robinson
Dream11 Prediction
Most cricket betting sites are backing Pakistan to win this game, and we too are doing the same. The English players haven’t played test cricket in Pakistan for almost 2 decades and will take time to adjust. Pakistan on the other hand seems to be in good touch.
Top Picks
Ben Stokes: The England captain is one of the best all-rounders around, and will play an important role if England wants to win here. He has scored 697 runs and picked up 25 wickets in 12 test matches this year.
Babar Azam: Arguably the best test batsman in the Pakistan squad right now, Babar Azam has scored more than 3100 runs in the longest format of the game. This year, he has a phenomenal average of 73.44b and has scored 661 runs.
Naseem Shah: Within just a few years of his debut, Naseem Shah has become one of the mainstays of Pakistan bowling. In absence of Shaheen Afridi, we will see an increase in his duties, and he will be eager to make an impact in his home country.
PAK vs ENG Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: B Foakes, M Rizwan
Batters: J Root, B Azam (VC), I Haq, Z Crawley, A Shafique
All-rounders: B Stokes (C)
Bowlers: J Anderson, J Leach, N Shah
