England’s skipper Ollie Pope opened up about the team’s preparations for the upcoming Test match against Pakistan, set to take place on October 7 at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
It is to be noted that Ollie Pope will be leading the team as stand-in captain, as Ben Stokes has not yet recovered with his hamstring injury sustained in the Hundred League.
While speaking in a press-conference in Multan, Pope shared insights on the preparations of the English team as per the weather and pitch conditions.
Pope noted, "The conditions here are different; both spin and seam bowlers will find assistance. It will be interesting to see how the pitch behaves, and our plans will depend on that."
He expressed confidence in his bowling attack, highlighting the return of Chris Woakes after a long absence and the pace of Brydon Carse.
Meanwhile, bowling coach of the England cricket team James Anderson, is not accompanying the team on their tour of Pakistan, as he is participating in the Scotland’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Despite his absence, the 42-year-old is sharing his invaluable experience with the team’s bowlers via WhatsApp.
Reflecting on the bowling line, the 26-year-old highlighted the experienced players listed in the Playing XI, noting that they are better replacements for the senior players injured.
"We have two regular spinners, so we might not need Joe Root to bowl," he said, indicating a flexible approach to their bowling strategy based on the pitch conditions.
In addition, he highlighted the absence of James Anderson, stating, “We will miss James Anderson, but the young bowlers have a great opportunity to play in these conditions."
Pope also acknowledged the warm weather and the potential for reverse swing as the pitch dries out, adding another layer of complexity to the match.
Continuing further, the middle-order batter regarded the hosts as a challenging team, despite their recent lack of form.
"Although the Pakistan team hasn't been in great form recently, they are still a challenging side," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Shan Masood and Co. after facing consecutive defeats against England in May and Bangladesh in August, are optimistic about the match against England on Monday.
With the first Test looming, Pope is hoping for an exciting series ahead.
Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (C), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel (VC), Mohammad Rizwan (Wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Abrar Ahmad.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinso, Brydon Carse (Debut), Jack Leach, and Shoaib Bashir.
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