England's fast bowling coach, James Anderson, will not be joining the national team on their tour of Pakistan as he participates in Scotland’s prestigious Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The tournament, which is currently underway, is set to conclude on October 6. Anderson is expected to reunite with the team by the second day of their Test match against Pakistan.
Despite his physical absence, the 42-year-old former cricketer is maintaining his connection with the squad by sharing his wealth of experience through WhatsApp. Anderson, who recently retired from international cricket in July, has taken on the role of mentor for England's fast bowlers, building on his impactful contributions during the team’s previous tour of Pakistan in 2022, where he claimed eight wickets across two Tests.
The bowling unit faces significant challenges, as two standout performers from the last series, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson, will not feature in the current lineup. Wood is unavailable due to injury, while Robinson has not been selected. In their place, England will field a fast bowling attack comprising Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Ollie Stone, and Chris Woakes.
Notably, Woakes will be making his first Test appearance in Asia since 2016, while the other four bowlers are relatively inexperienced in overseas Test matches, raising concerns about the team's bowling depth under pressure. Adding to the complications, Ollie Stone is set to depart on the fifth day of the match to prepare for his wedding next week.
It is worth noting that the three-match re-ball format series between Pakistan and England is set to begin on October 7th in Multan. The national team aims to make a positive comeback following a disappointing 2-0 whitewash against Bangladesh.
Pakistan squad for first Test against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mehmood.
England squad for Pakistan Test series: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
Pakistan, England Test series schedule: