PAK vs ENG 2024: England announce playing 11 for third Test with two changes

England will take on Pakistan in the third Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi from October 24. England were ripped apart by Pakistan’s spin duo, Sajid Khan and Niman Ali as they combined picked 20 wickets in the second Test. Pakistan are riding high after winning the second Test by 152, their first win at home in over three years, and have levelled the series by 1-1.

The Rawalpindi pitch is likely prepared to assist spinners as the Multan strip did in the second Test. With that development in mind, the visitors have made two changes to their playing 11. They have brought back pacer Gus Atkinson and spinner Rehan Ahmed in place of Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts. Rehan’s inclusion was given as England aim to bolster their bowling with spin.

Also Read: Pakistan resort to giant windbreaks, outsized fans and patio heaters to replicate Multan in Rawalpindi

Carse and Potts were impressive in the second Test as the duo picked eight wickets combined in two innings. But the fact that Rawalpindi deck will welcome the English with turn, they will hope Pakistan to taste their own medicine by fielding their spin duo, Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed together. Moreover, they also have Jack Leach who picked seven wickets in the previous Test. 

The last time England visited Pakistan in 2022, they whitewashed the hosts by 3-0. As England’s struggle against the spin in the second Test became a glaring reality, their former cricketers were unabashedly critical of their batters relying on just sweep shots to tackle the spin. Other than Ben Duckett’s 114 in the first inning, no other England batter went past the 40-run mark in the Test.

England's Playing XI for the third Test:

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