Pakistan will aim to break their disappointing streak in red-ball cricket when they face England in the first Test at Multan, starting on Monday. Pakistan are yet to win a Test at home since February 2021 and enters the series following a humiliating 0-2 defeat against Bangladesh.

Led by Shan Masood, Pakistan last secured a Test victory over England in 2018.

Meanwhile, England, despite a recent loss to Sri Lanka in their last Test at Lord’s, will be boosted by the return of key players Zak Crawley and Jack Leach for the three-match series against Pakistan. The Three Lions claimed a narrow 26-run win in their previous Test versus Pakistan ar Multan in December 2022.

England’s tour of Pakistan 2024, 1st Test

• Start Date: October 7; 10:30 am (IST), 5:00 am (GMT), 10:00 am (Local)
• Venue: Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan

Multan Cricket Stadium Pitch Report

The pitch in Multan is expected to be conducive to batting in red-ball cricket, leading to a potential high-scoring match. There will be minimal movement for the ball, and batters can anticipate a flat wicket throughout the match. Fast bowlers might find some assistance with the new ball at the beginning, but overall, it’s likely to be a batting-friendly pitch for the series opener.

PAK vs ENG Dream11 Prediction Picks:

• Wicketkeeper: Mohammad Rizwan
• Batters:  Babar Azam, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Harry Brook
• All-rounders: Chris Woakes, Joe Root, Agha Salman
• Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Gus Atkinson

PAK vs ENG Dream11 Prediction Captain and Vice-Captain:

Choice 1: Joe Root (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc)
Choice 2: Harry Brook (c), Babar Azam (vc)

Also READ: Stuart Broad confident of England’s ‘Bazball’ approach in upcoming Test Series against Pakistan

PAK vs ENG Dream11 Prediction Backups:

Shan Masood, Jamie Smith, Saud Shakeel, Zak Crawley

PAK vs ENG Dream11 Team for today’s match (October 7, 05:00 am GMT):

PAK vs ENG: Playing XI of both teams:

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir

Also READ: England captain Ben Stokes ruled out of the first Test against Pakistan