England brought in fast bowler Mark Wood and shrugged off Pakistan’s attempt to make the Multan pitch friendlier for spin in the second Test from Friday (December 9). Wood was the only change England made after its landmark, 74-run win in the first Test at Rawalpindi on Monday.
Wood replaced allrounder Liam Livingstone, who returned home after injuring his knee during the first Test. “Having someone in your squad who can bowl at 150 kph is a massive bonus for any team,” England captain Ben Stokes said of Wood on Thursday.
A peek into the team's training session as Multan prepares to host its first Test in 16 years ___#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/mcWbhcERJr
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 8, 2022
“Having someone of this caliber and what he brings, the way in which he bowls, is going to be massive for us. He is going to add to our ability to take 20 wickets.”
Wood hasn’t played a test since March when he sustained an elbow injury. He missed the entire English county season and returned to international cricket during England’s seven-match T20 series in Pakistan in September. But a hip injury sidelined him from the climax of the triumphant T20 World Cup 2022 campaign in Australia.
Ollie Pope was retained behind the wickets after replacing an ill Ben Foakes for the first Test. Pope scored a century and made six catches and a stumping. Stokes stressed Foakes remained their prime glovesman but at the moment Pope’s role as a batter and wicketkeeper perfectly suited the team combination.
Here’s everything you need to know about Pakistan vs England 2nd Test match:
The Pakistan vs England 2nd Test match will be played from December 9, Friday onwards.
The Pakistan vs England 2nd Test match will be hosted in Multan.
The Pakistan vs England 2nd Test match will begin at 10:30 am IST. The toss is scheduled to take place at 10am IST.
The Pakistan vs England 2nd Test match will be televised on Sony Sports Network channels in India.
The Pakistan vs England 2nd Test match is available to be streamed live on the SonyLiv app and website.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (C), Khushdil Shah, Azhar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Zahid Mahmood
England: Harry Brook, Will Jacks, Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Duckett, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Jack Leach, Ollie Robinson
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