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The Pakistan vs England Test Series 2024 promises to be a thrilling contest between two of the top cricketing nations, as part of the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. This highly anticipated series, scheduled in December 2024, will see both teams fight for valuable points in their bid to qualify for the WTC final. With both Pakistan and England known for their rich cricketing histories and competitive spirit, the series is bound to be an exciting clash.
Series Schedule
- 1st Test: October 7-11, 2024, Multan
- 2nd Test: October 15-19, 2024, Multan
- 3rd Test: October 24-28, 2024, Rawalpindi
Importance of the Series in the World Test Championship
This series will be crucial for both teams as it falls under the ICC World Test Championship 2023-2025 cycle. Both Pakistan and England are looking to secure a spot in the WTC final, and a series win here could significantly boost their chances.
England, currently sitting in the upper half of the WTC standings, will be looking to continue their good form in Test cricket, especially after their recent successes in the Ashes and their home series against New Zealand. Pakistan, on the other hand, will be aiming to recover from inconsistent performances in recent Test series, and playing at home will be a significant advantage.
Recent Form and Previous Encounters
Pakistan's Recent Form
Pakistan’s recent Test form has been mixed, with fluctuating results over the past year. They recently suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat in their home Test series against Bangladesh in August 2024. Despite standout performances from players like Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan struggled to maintain consistency. Their batting line-up faced issues, and their bowlers were unable to defend competitive totals. This series highlighted weaknesses that Pakistan will need to address ahead of their clash against England.
However, Pakistan's return of key players, including Sarfaraz Ahmed and Aamer Jamal, brings renewed hope. The squad will aim to capitalize on home conditions to deliver a stronger performance.
England's Recent Form
England has enjoyed an outstanding run in Test cricket, following their aggressive and fast-paced "Bazball" approach under Brendon McCullum. They come into this series fresh off a dominant 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies in the Caribbean. This tour demonstrated England’s dynamic batting and fierce pace attack, with players like Ben Stokes and Harry Brook continuing their exceptional form.
England also completed a 3-0 series win in Pakistan in 2022, a series that marked their return to Test cricket in Pakistan after a long hiatus. The series was highlighted by Rehan Ahmed's historic debut and the aggressive mindset that brought England success on spinning tracks. With their sights set on another strong performance, England will be confident heading into this 2024 series.
Squads for Pakistan vs England Test Series 2024
While the final squads for the series are yet to be announced, here is a look at some of the key players expected to feature for both teams:
Pakistan Squad
- Shan Masood (c) – Opening Batter
- Saud Shakeel (vc) – Middle-order Batter
- Abdullah Shafique – Top-order Batter
- Babar Azam – Batter
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk) – Wicketkeeper Batter
- Muhammad Hurraira – Batter
- Saim Ayub – Top-order Batter
- Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk) – Wicketkeeper Batter
- Aamer Jamal – Allrounder
- Salman Agha – Allrounder
- Abrar Ahmed – Bowler
- Mir Hamza – Bowler
- Naseem Shah – Bowler
- Noman Ali – Bowler
- Shaheen Shah Afridi – Bowler
England Squad
- Ben Stokes (c) – Allrounder
- Harry Brook – Batter
- Zak Crawley – Top-order Batter
- Ben Duckett – Top-order Batter
- Ollie Pope – Middle-order Batter
- Joe Root – Top-order Batter
- Jordan Cox (wk) – Wicketkeeper Batter
- Jamie Smith (wk) – Wicketkeeper Batter
- Brydon Carse – Bowling Allrounder
- Rehan Ahmed – Bowling Allrounder
- Chris Woakes – Allrounder
- Gus Atkinson – Bowler
- Josh Hull – Bowler
- Jack Leach – Bowler
- Matthew Potts – Bowler
- Shoaib Bashir – Bowler
- Olly Stone – Bowler
Where to Watch
Cricket fans around the globe can catch all the live action through the following broadcasters:
- In the UK: Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Go (for streaming).
- In Pakistan: PTV Sports and Tapmad.
- In India: Sony Liv and Sony Sports Network.
With both teams eager to secure a win and continue their World Test Championship journey, the Pakistan vs England 2024 series is expected to deliver high-quality Test cricket. Stay tuned for an exciting series full of thrilling performances, competitive cricket, and historic moments.