Pakistan vs England: England Playing 11 announced for PAK vs ENG 3rd Test

England is set to face Pakistan in the third Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, starting October 24. After a challenging series, England was dismantled by Pakistan’s spin duo of Sajid Khan and Niman Ali, who combined to take 20 wickets in the second Test. This performance propelled Pakistan to a commanding 152-run victory, marking their first home win in over three years and leveling the series at 1-1. The pitch in Rawalpindi is expected to favor spinners, similar to the conditions seen in Multan during the previous Test. In response to these anticipated playing conditions, England has made two changes to their playing XI. They have brought back pacer Gus Atkinson and spinner Rehan Ahmed, replacing Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts. The inclusion of Rehan Ahmed reflects England's strategy to strengthen their bowling attack with a spin option, as they aim to adapt to the spin-friendly surface.

With the series now tied, both teams will be eager to gain the upper hand. England will look to assert their dominance after the setback in the second Test, while Pakistan seeks to build on their recent success and capitalize on home advantage. The upcoming clash promises to be an exciting contest as both teams navigate the challenges posed by the pitch and the stakes of the series.

Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts performed well in the second Test, combining for eight wickets across two innings. However, with the Rawalpindi pitch expected to favor spin, England hopes to see Pakistan face similar challenges by fielding their spin duo, Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed, alongside Jack Leach, who took seven wickets in the previous Test.

During England's last tour to Pakistan in 2022, they achieved a 3-0 whitewash, but their struggles against spin in the recent second Test raised concerns. Former cricketers were openly critical of the England batters for relying heavily on sweep shots to counter the spinners. Aside from Ben Duckett’s impressive 114 in the first innings, no other England batter managed to score more than 40 runs, highlighting their difficulties at the crease.

England Playing XI

⁠Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, ⁠Ollie Pope, ⁠Joe Root, ⁠Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, ⁠Gus Atkinson, ⁠Rehan Ahmed, ⁠Jack Leach, ⁠Shoaib Bashir.