Pakistan vs England Test series: 5 Players to watch out for

Pakistan vs England Test series: 5 Players to watch out for: It is a festival of international cricket this October, and England’s tour of UAE is one of the series to watch out for. England has not played in UAE in 4 years, and there has been a complete revamp in their test side. Though still led by Alastair Cook, yesteryear’s prominent players including Graeme Swann and Kevin Pietersen are amongst the major absentees. Whereas the Pakistan’s core batting unit, comprising mainly of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, are still kicking in spite of their age factor. Post a successful tour of Zimbabwe, Shoaib Malik makes it into the team to provide some extra stability to the middle order. The bowling unit, in spite the absence of their wrecker-in-chief in the 2011 series, Saeed Ajmal, have some incredible upstart bowling talents including Yasir Shah and experienced likes of Zulfiqar Babar and Wahab Riaz. Going into the first test match of the three match series, which starts on 13th October, here are the 5 players to watch out for: 1. Younis Khan: (Photo Source: AFP) The 37-year-old veteran has been in the news for controversial reasons over the past month or so, in relation to PSL. But that barely makes any blot in his importance in the Test team. Just 18 runs shy of Miandad’s record for most Test runs for Pakistan, he will be eager to take the burden of the record away and focus on his batting. After a tremendous 2014 season wherein he averaged 66 in 9 Tests he played, he continued his form this year, playing an important role in the series victory down in Sri Lanka. Younis Khan is a beast in sub-continent conditions, and his wicket will have a huge value for the English bowlers. 2. Shoaib Malik: (Photo Source: Associated Press) The comeback man has been sensational for Pakistan in the shorter formats this year. Averaging 100 in ODIs for Pakistan, Malik has been rewarded with a place in the Test squad for his consistent performances. While it is not completely assured that he will get a place in the team immediately, he will definitely get a chance to prove his worth in the longer formats. This will be a crucial opportunity for the veteran all-rounder, who last played a Test in 2010. With the senior batsmen Younis Khan and Misbah being at a ripe age for retirement, it will be expected from Shoaib to take up the mantle of the senior batsman in the team, and this is the perfect opportunity to showcase his caliber in the longer formats. 3. Yasir Shah: (Photo Source: Associated Press) This leg spinner has been on a roll in the past year, and with 61 wickets off just 10 Tests, he has every chance of breaking the Pakistan record of fastest to take 50 wickets. But that is not something he would have in his mind, as primarily, he will be leading the spin attack against the resilient English batsmen. While he bamboozled the Sri Lankan in their own backyard with a splendid performance of 24 wickets from 3 Tests, this will be another test of his caliber at the international level. While the English aren’t the best players of spin, the fact that majority of their team are left handers will be a Test for Yasir. Going by England’s tactics to sweep against the Pakistan A spinners, a similar tactics might be employed against Shah. It will be interesting to he how he handles the situation, especially if he is the one under pressure. 4. Joe Root: (© Getty Images) The player with most number of runs in Tests in 2015, Joe Root has come off age and established himself as the premier middle-order batsman for England. His performance against Australia in the ashes showcases his ability to perform at the highest of platforms. But this test is an entirely new challenge all-together. He has just played a single test in the sub-continent, and he is inexperienced in turning wickets, despite having played 30+ matches in his career. His battle against the Pakistani spinners will be one of the major aspects of the series, with the question cropping up as to how will he counter the spinners in conditions favorable to them. Also, he will play a crucial role of the third spinner, having picked up 12 wickets off his off-breaks in his career. 5. Adil Rashid: (Photo Source: Getty Images) This Pakistan-origin spinner is most likely to make his debut in the whites against Pakistan, and he will play the important role of lead spinner against the Pakistani team. While he is not the most economical of bowlers in the shorter format, it is his ability to pick up wickets which made him a regular in the shorter formats. And with conditions tailor-made for his bowling style, Adil’s hands must be itching to have a go. But the question arises as to whether he has the caliber to thrive in the longer format of the game? Can he trouble the Pakistani batsmen, especially the experienced spin players including Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq? He will have a huge role to play if England needs to have any chance of upstaging Pakistan in their own den.