Multan (AFP): Opener Zak Crawley said on Friday that England’s young pace attack will face a “test of character” in their upcoming Test series in Pakistan where a pitch baked by searing temperatures and surging smog levels await.

The team touched down this week in the central city of Multan, which will host the first two of a three-match Test series starting on Monday.

With training underway, temperatures are 37°C (99°F) and air pollution is up to 27 times the level deemed safe by the World Health Organisation, according to monitoring firm IQAir.

“It will be challenging, but we have got all the things in place to counter that,” said Crawley, returning to the squad after missing a home series against Sri Lanka with a fractured finger.

“We are looking forward to that challenge,” the 26-year-old told reporters in Multan. “We have been talking about it for the last couple of weeks.”

He predicted England’s quintet of pace bowlers — on their maiden tours of Pakistan — would particularly face a “test of character and test of skill”.

With experienced pace duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad now retired, the baton of pace bowling is with Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes.

“These young guys have got a lot of skill,” said Crawley. “Being young brings in energy and fire in the belly as well, and I am sure they will be raring to go and do well.”

Pakistan’s international cricket performance is in dire straits, and the red-ball team has lost all five matches during the tenure of skipper Shan Masood which began last year.

Last month they suffered a humiliating first-ever 2-0 home series defeat to low-ranked Bangladesh.

Crawley is one of the eight players on England’s Test squad who also played in the team beating Pakistan 3-0 in 2022, inflicting on them their first whitewash at home.

“I think we will put pressure on the opponents, like the last time,” said Crawley, citing England’s aggressive “Bazball” tactics, dubbed after the nickname of head coach Brendon McCullum.

“The finger is good and I have recovered well,” Crawley said about his recovery from injury. “I am absolutely raring to go. I can’t wait.”

The second Test starts in Multan on October 15 with the final match played in Rawalpindi from October 24.

(AFP): England captain Ben Stokes said Saturday he will miss the first Test against Pakistan starting next week, after failing to recover from a hamstring injury.

The 33-year-old Stokes has been out since the start of August with a hamstring tear suffered during The Hundred, missing his team’s 2-1 home Test series win against Sri Lanka last month.

Top-order batter Ollie Pope, who led the side against Sri Lanka, will stand in again for the first of three matches starting in Multan on Monday.

“I tried my hardest to get myself fit for this game,” Stokes told reporters. “But have taken the call to miss this one because I’ve not quite managed to get the game ready.”

All-rounder Stokes was at team practice on Friday and Saturday, batting in the nets and bowling a few deliveries with a short start. But the skipper said he was “not sure” he would participate in the second Test — also in Multan and slated for October 15.

“I’ve pushed myself incredibly hard and worked really hard with the medical team to get to where I’m at now,” he said. “I think I’m further ahead than what we expected. I’ll be working just as hard over the next ten days to try to get myself fit for the second Test.”

Late last month, the England and Wales Cricket Board said Stokes had been “on track” to play against Pakistan. “There is a lot that has to go into my rehab programme,” he said. “It’s always frustrating to miss out.”

With Stokes out, England announced their eleven for the first Test, giving pace bowler Brydon Carse his debut in the longer format.

The tourists will enter the Test with three pacers in Carse, Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes, alongside the spin duo of Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir. Opener Zak Crawley also returns to the squad after missing the Sri Lanka series with a fractured finger.

As sweltering temperatures bake pitch and levels of smog climb, England opener Zak Crawley on Friday warned young pacers of the visiting team that they will face a “test of character” in the Test series against Pakistan.

This week, the England team landed in Multan, where the first two matches of the three-match Test series will be played starting on Monday.

While the England team has started training in 37°C temperature, monitoring firm IQAir said air pollution was about 27 times higher than the level deemed safe by the World Health Organisation.

“It will be challenging, but we have got all the things in place to counter that,” said Crawley, returning to the squad after missing a home series against Sri Lanka with a fractured finger.

“We are looking forward to that challenge,” the 26-year-old told reporters in Multan. “We have been talking about it for the last couple of weeks.”

He predicted England’s quintet of pace bowlers — on their maiden tours of Pakistan — would particularly face a “test of character and test of skill”.

With experienced pace duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad now retired, the baton of pace bowling is with Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes.

“These young guys have got a lot of skill,” said Crawley. “Being young brings in energy and fire in the belly as well, and I am sure they will be raring to go and do well.”

Pakistan’s international cricket performance is in dire straits, and the red-ball team has lost all five matches during the tenure of skipper Shan Masood which began last year.

Last month they suffered a humiliating first-ever 2-0 home series defeat to low-ranked Bangladesh.

Crawley is one of the eight players on England’s Test squad who also played in the team beating Pakistan 3-0 in 2022, inflicting on them their first whitewash at home.

“I think we will put pressure on the opponents, like the last time,” said Crawley, citing England’s aggressive “Bazball” tactics, dubbed after the nickname of head coach Brendon McCullum.

“The finger is good and I have recovered well,” Crawley said about his recovery from injury. “I am absolutely raring to go. I can’t wait.”

The second Test starts in Multan on October 15 with the final match played in Rawalpindi from October 24.

Pakistani boxer Muhammad Waseem Saturday beat his Georgian opponent Jaba Memishishi in Bantamweight ranking bout at the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) taking place in Malta. 

The 34-year-old stunned the Georgian boxer in the third round of the competition to achieve the new milestone. 

This adds to Waseem’s 13th professional victory, with nine of those coming by knockout.

In addition, his professional boxing record now stands at 13-2 from a total of 15 bouts.

Previously, the boxer faced a refusal for a visa from Denmark. In regard to this, the two-time WBC silver champion expressed his disappointment in an interview with a local news channel.

“I have been a world champion twice, and they rejected my visa, claiming I would disappear if I went there. I travel all over the world and was training with my coaches in London. I needed to arrive in Malta early to prepare for the upcoming world title fight,” he said.

Earlier in August, the “falcon” was hopeful for success against his opponent Sabelo, and he proved that.

He stated: “I am hopeful for success against my opponent. The world title fight is very important to me, and I do not want to miss this opportunity,” Waseem added, urging the Pakistani government, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the army chief to intervene and help secure his visa.