PAK vs ENG 1st Test – Jamal, Shaheen and Naseem return to the Pakistan XI for the first Test against England in Multan

“Multan is new territory for us,” Shan said at the captain’s press conference. “When we played Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, we had played a lot of cricket there, so we knew how the pitch would be affected if you left grass on it. Things were a bit difficult for the batsmen against Bangladesh. We'll leave it to the groundsman here.' We want to have a final look tomorrow, so we've tried to cover the bases and have three seamers and two spinners like England. We also have a bit of depth in batting.

Pakistan's batting is a concern, with several batters struggling, and the match between a home batting line-up lacking runs and an away bowling unit inexperienced in these conditions presents an interesting point. Although England's decision to opt for a bowling combination of Brydon Carse, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir may seem risky, it has become an integral part of this England team's brand.

“It (Bazball) has had an impact on the world,” Masood said. “Sometimes we get too caught up in fixed procedures. The best thing England have done is realize that there are other perspectives and things that could suit you. The key is to find new ways of doing things. That’s the way the world is.” has always evolved and cricket is no different. It's like in life: you try to develop yourself and find new ways, and England were pioneers in that.

“The players are very injured. Overall, 2024 was not a good year for Pakistan cricket and we are happy when our fans are happy. If religion cricket comes next, everyone will know how the cricket team is doing. “We are hurt. We tried to maintain continuity in selection because we believed in this group of players and with Jason Gillespie we wanted to create a squad mentality. Players are supported to change things.

Pakistan Squad for 1st Test: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (Capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.