Ben Stokes will lead England in second Test v Pakistan Multan.
England captain Ben Stokes provided a clear-cut answer when a journalist tried to entice him into sharing his views on Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah being rested for the last two Tests of the ongoing series.
England leads the series 1-0 and the second Test will begin, also in Multan, from October 15 onwards.
Pakistan cricket experienced shockwaves after the new selection panel decided to rest Pakistan's key players — Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah — from the second and third Tests. Sarfaraz Ahmed was also rested along with the trio.
Stokes, who has been out with a hamstring injury since early August, bowled easily in the nets on Sunday in preparation for the second Test, which begins on Tuesday in Multan.
When asked about their nonparticipation, Stokes stated that he is entirely concerned with his team's performance and preparation. The absence of the trio has sparked debate among fans and experts, but Stokes remains unconcerned, confirming his conviction in just controlling what occurs on the pitch.
"That's Pakistan cricket's issue. Nothing to do with me," Stokes stated in the pre-match presser.
England captain Ben Stokes believes that getting a similar wicket to the first match will give them an edge. The second Test in Multan will be held on the same pitch as the series opener, where England defeated Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs last week.
“If you look at the way that the first Test played out, if another wicket like that was produced, maybe that gives us more of an advantage. You’d like to think it might be a bit more in favor of the spin, so if it does spin more, or if it does reverse more, there are more options there for both teams,” he said.
England made two changes to their line-up as pacers Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes were dropped to bring in Matthew Potts and Stokes while spin duo Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir kept their place.
On Pakistan’s decision to reuse the surface, Stokes was surprised with the move. “It could be a tactic but I’ve never seen a pitch before used in back-to-back games. And I’ve never seen fans that big standing as umpires,” he said.
“I think if we went 1-0 down at home, we would probably be going to our groundsman at the second Test saying ‘Can we have a bit more of this, bit more of that’ to use our home advantage in our favour. With me being captain and Baz being coach, that’s how we both view cricket, that there should be a winner,” Stokes added.
(IANS Inputs)