Ben Stokes will miss England’s first Test against Pakistan in Multan as he continues recovering from a torn hamstring. Stokes confirmed after training on Saturday that he hasn’t fully recovered from the injury sustained two months ago while playing in the Hundred.
In his absence, Chris Woakes will play his first overseas Test in two-and-a-half years and his first in Asia since 2016. Brydon Carse is also in line to make his Test debut. Ollie Pope will captain England for the fourth consecutive match, having previously led the team to a 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka last month.
During training, Stokes spent the initial 45 minutes doing shuttle runs with the strength and conditioning coach, Peter Sim. He later batted in the nets, facing spin from Rehan Ahmed and local net bowlers, as well as throwdowns from the coaching staff. Stokes is adopting a cautious approach to his recovery, emphasizing that he doesn’t want to rush back too soon, especially considering England’s six upcoming Tests before the year ends.
Stokes is now aiming for a return in the second Test, starting October 15, though he will likely be available only as a specialist batter. England is expected to announce their playing XI shortly, two days before the first Test, and they are likely to field two spinners. Jack Leach returns to international cricket for the first time since January, partnering with Shoaib Bashir. Gus Atkinson has recovered from a thigh niggle and will make his debut in an overseas Test.
Carse looks set to take the spot in England’s seam attack over his Durham teammate Matthew Potts because of his extra pace and all-round abilities. Joe Root praised Carse, noting his ability to take wickets unexpectedly even on flat pitches.
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