England have been thrown a curveball ahead of Ben Stokes’ likely comeback in the second Test in Pakistan, with the hosts ready to re-use the same pitch in Multan.
It is rare for Tests to be played back-to-back at the same venue and unheard of for the same pitch to be used twice in succession but, after losing the series opener by an innings and 47 runs, it appears the hosts have sought a left-field solution.
The track was stubbornly flat for the first Test, with first-innings totals of 556 and 823-7 and just 13 wickets in the first three days.
Now, Pakistan are seemingly ready to gamble that a worn wicket which saw 353.3 overs of action in the past week offers greater balance between bat and ball than a pristine one.
It could prove an interesting conundrum for Stokes to solve if the England captain returns to the side as expected on Tuesday.
He looked to be fully recovered from his torn hamstring, bowling at near full tilt as well as running and batting at an optional net session, in what amounted to a fitness test after missing his side’s last four games.
He is now likely to reclaim the reins from Ollie Pope, perhaps as a replacement for all-rounder Chris Woakes.
The first indication of intrigue over the Multan pitch came when both teams arrived for training on Sunday morning, with large industrial fans placed at either end of the original pitch to speed the drying process after it was heavily watered post-match.
Alternative wickets were also being prepared on either side, but it was the central one that was attracting the most attention. It is not yet impossible, then, that there could be a late change of heart.
While there was minimal deterioration in the first Test, there were visible cracks opening up and the occasional sign of variable bounce. If things do begin to break up, it could prove a very different experience to last week’s run-fest.
Babar dropped in radical Pakistan shake-up
Babar Azam reacts as he walks off the field after his dismissal during the fourth day of the first Test
Pakistan have dropped star batter Babar Azam as well as strike bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah in a radical shake-up for the remainder of the Test series against England.
After six consecutive defeats under new captain Shan Masood and a winless streak at home that dates back more than two-and-a-half years, a revamped selection panel has reacted decisively to England’s innings victory in the first Test.
Babar, the standard bearer for the country’s cricket in recent years and current world No 1 in ODIs, leads the omissions for the second and third matches.
The 29-year-old last scored a Test century in December 2022 and has a top score of just 41 in 18 subsequent innings.
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Just as strikingly, leading seamers Shaheen and Naseem have also been stood down just one game after returning from injury.
First-choice spinner Abrar Ahmed has been ruled out after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the illness which struck him down in the first Test is a case of dengue fever and reserve wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed has also been released.
It amounts to a drastic overhaul, not least given the brief three-day turnaround between matches in Multan.
Uncapped trio Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz and Kamran Ghulam have been called up, alongside fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan.
Veteran spinners Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, aged 38 and 36 respectively, also return after being part of the original training group for the series.
Squad: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Zahid Mehmood.
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First Test: Multan – October 7-11 – England won by an innings and 47 runs
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 day one of the second Test between Pakistan and England in Multan, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am on Tuesday, ahead of play starting from 6am. Stream with NOW