England could be without Ben Stokes for next week’s opening Test in Pakistan, with Zak Crawley admitting the tourists do not know if the captain will be fit for duty.
Stokes tore his hamstring in August while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred and sat out the three-match series against Sri Lanka, leaving Ollie Pope to take over as skipper.
He had been hoping to make his comeback in Monday’s series opener in Multan but has yet to be given the green light.
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Monday 7th October 5:30am
Stokes was on hand for England’s first practice session but bowled just a handful of gentle deliveries off a couple of strides and looked uncomfortable at times during his batting stint.
“I think he’s got to do a few more tests, but he’s been doing some running and stuff,” Crawley said.
“He seems to be going well, recovering well from his injury, [but] we don’t know just yet. We feel ready, whatever team comes out it will be a nice balance either way.
“We’ve got a really deep squad with plenty of options with the ball and with the bat as well.”
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Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Urooj Mumtaz spoke on the pitch conditions England can expect against Pakistan
Should Stokes be confined to the balcony, where he watched all three of the games against Sri Lanka in an observing capacity, it could spare England a tricky team selection.
If Stokes is happy to play as a specialist batter, as he has done before when carrying niggles, England would surely want a fifth bowling option and may be forced to cut one of the top six.
Crawley, though, has been cleared for action after his own lay-off with a broken finger.
He will take a temporary sabbatical from the slips, where he suffered the fracture against the West Indies at Edgbaston, but is otherwise fighting fit and has been netting for just over a fortnight.
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Pakistan captain Shan Masood says his side will look to regain form as they prepare to take on England in a three-Test series
“I feel brand new. I’m looking forward to getting out there,” he said.
“I couldn’t pick up a bat for five weeks. I’ve certainly missed it, so I can’t wait to get out there again with the boys.
“It was a nasty break at the time but I’ve recovered well and I don’t feel it at all while I’m batting.
“I won’t go at slip, just from advice from the doctor, but I feel like I could. I’m trying to rest it but I did a few catches and it feels fine. I’m just trying to follow the professional advice.”
Crawley’s enforced downtime means he has not played a competitive innings since July 26 but, despite having no warm-up fixtures leading into the Test series, feels more than ready to go.
“I always think of it like I’ve been preparing for this my whole life,” he said.
“It’s not like I need two weeks to prepare, because this is something I’ve been doing since I was 12 years old. I’m always ready to play. That’s just what I do.”
First Test: Multan – October 7-11
Second Test: Multan – October 15-19
Third Test: Rawalpindi – October 24-28
Every match from the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup is also live on Sky Sports from October 3-20 with Australia aiming for a third straight title and seventh overall, and England seeking to triumph for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2009.
Watch the first Test between Pakistan and England in Multan, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am Monday (first ball 6.30am).