Babar Azam’s absence vs Ben Stokes’ return: PAK vs ENG promises dramatic showdown in Multan

After a humiliating defeat in Multan by 47 runs in the series opener, Pakistan will now face England in the second Test at the same Multan Cricket Stadium on October 15. This PAK vs ENG match will be interesting to watch, as Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has been dropped from the squad, while England will see a much-awaited return of their hero Ben Stokes who will be leading the English side.

No Babar Azam and Shaheen

Importantly, from the Pakistan side, cricket legend Babar Azam has been dropped from the squad. It will be interesting to see how Pakistan performs in the absence of ‘Babar,’ who hasn’t won a single Test on home soil since 2022. Along with Babar, prime pacers like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are also not part of the remainder of the series.

After facing a setback against Bangladesh (0-2), the team will be looking to bounce back against England.

Stokes and Potts are back

This Test is going to be really interesting as legendary all-rounder Ben Stokes and Matthew Potts are fully fit to return to the squad. They will be playing in place of Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson.

Match Details:

• Match: Pakistan vs England, 2nd Test
• Venue: Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
• Date and Time: Tuesday to Saturday, October 15-19, 10:30 AM IST
• Live Streaming: Fancode (App and Website)

Head-to-Head Record:

• Matches: 90
• Won by Pakistan: 21
• Won by England: 30
• Draw: 39
• No Result: 0

PAK vs ENG Pitch Report

Apart from the underwhelming performances of the teams, the pitch has been a major topic of discussion in the PAK vs ENG series. The first Test in Multan was a haven for batters, with a total of 1,599 runs scored and little assistance for the bowlers.

PAK vs ENG Playing XIs for the Second Test:

Debut for Kamran Ghulam

Kamran Ghulam, Sajid Khan, and Noman Ali are included in the playing XI.

Pakistan Playing XI: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (vc), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood

The Return of Ben Stokes

England remains largely unchanged, with two changes: Stokes and Potts making their way back into the squad. Stokes will captain the team, taking over from Ollie Pope.

England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir