England vs Pakistan: 5 players from Pakistan to look out for

It is believed that Pakistan would go into the 1st Test at Lord’s with the same playing eleven that won against Ireland, and what will come as a boost for them is that their star fast bowler Mohammad Amir is expected to be available after sitting out of the two-day fixture against Leicestershire.

Other than Amir, there are other players in the side who are expected to light up the English summer, and here is a look at 5 Pakistani players that fans should keep their eyes on during this Test series.

The Pakistan team that will take on England in the two-Test series starting at Lord’s on Thursday is quite different from the one that drew a topsy-turvy series 2-2 last time around.

This is a young but enterprising team and ahead of a short series, they have got some match practice. They played the historic Test against Ireland and have been involved in three warm-up games in all.

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#5 Shadab Khan

After Pakistan’s frontline Test spinner, Yasir Shah, was ruled out of this tour due to an injury to his hip bone, it opened the opportunity for the hugely talented Shadab Khan to make his name in Test cricket.

He debuted around a year ago against the West Indies, but it was not till the game against Ireland that he played his 2nd Test. In the first Test at Lord’s, he is going to be one of Pakistan’s key bowlers against a side that is not particularly adept at playing spin.

First and foremost, he is a hugely talented spinner, who has had great success in limited overs cricket so far and much of that success has been down to classical leg-spin bowling.

He can bowl a wide variety of deliveries and his ability to bowl accurately is another factor that can often suffocate batsmen.

Although he did not particularly do well in the game against Leicestershire, he did take a 10 wicket haul against Northants ahead of the Test against Ireland and he would draw confidence from that.

Last but not the least, he is a decent batsman and his 55 in the 1st innings against Ireland is a clear indication that he could end up being a hugely vital player for Pakistan in the lower middle-order.

#4 Babar Azam

Babar Azam

He is regarded as one of the most gifted and technically sound batsmen in Pakistan cricket, which is why Babar Azam’s performances in his first international tour to England is going to be something that cricket fans will be watching eagerly.

He will almost certainly play at number 5 and, considering the fact that he will probably not have to face the new ball, he will have a distinct advantage.

Needless to say, he can be very good against the new ball as well and his 59 against Ireland during that tense chase in Dublin proved that he can take on the mantle when the chips are down.

That being said, England at home are a different kettle of fish and Azam would need to be at his best to score runs. However, it is safe to say that all eyes will be on him considering his stature in Pakistan cricket already.

#3 Mohammad Abbas

Mohammad Abbas

He has only played 6 Tests in his career so far but his show in this tour so far means that 28 years old Mohammad Abbas is almost certain to play in the 1st Test against England at Lord’s.

Throughout the tour, he has bowled brilliantly and his highest point came during the Test match against Ireland, in which he picked up a match haul of 9 for 110.

He can be the perfect foil for the perfect foil for Mohammad Amir and although he is not as quick, he is capable of causing serious problems to the English batting line up.

Considering the fact that Abbas is one of the newer members of the bowling attack, there will be a lot of interest in how he does and his show against Ireland indicates that the Test series versus England could well prove to be his making as a bowler.

#2 Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali

If a team has to be successful in England then its opening batsmen need to be up for the challenge and in Azhar Ali, Pakistan have a senior professional, who would need to do the job.

Facing up to bowlers like James Anderson and Stuart Broad in England has been a challenge for most opening batsmen, which is why Azhar Alis’s performance holds the key for Pakistan’s batting in this series.

He is the most experienced batsman in the batting line-up and in his last tour to the country, he averaged 41.14 with one century (139).

Considering the fact that this is his second tour, one would expect him to do better but then against his form so far has been dodgy.

He did not go past 15 till the Test against Ireland and it was only in the latest game against Leicestershire that he made 73. The fact that he has run into some form ahead of the 1st Test bodes well for Pakistan and it would be interesting to see how he fares in this series.

#1 Mohammad Amir

Mohammad Amir

In his last tour to England, Mohammad Amir did not return great figured and actually ended up with only 12 wickets in 4 Tests, but he remained a dangerous presence in the bowling attack.

Ahead of his 3rd tour to the country, the left-arm pacer will again be the cynosure of all eyes and lead the Pakistani pace attack in both the Tests.

He missed out on the latest practice game against Leicestershire due to a slight niggle, but he is expected to be fit for the 1st Test, and that must have comes as a great relief to the team management.

He is the sort of bowler, who can bowl at great pace, generate swing and then return to wreak havoc with the old ball.

Amir is the bowler who will against be the most dangerous bowler in the Pakistani pace attack and in the Test against Ireland, he bowled well despite returning a wicket haul of 5 wickets in the Test match.

His performance will be key for Pakistan’s chances in series and naturally, he is going to be a player who will generate a lot of attention.