Five challenges Pakistan will face ahead of the England series

The last time Pakistan toured England for a Test series was back in 2016 when they ended with a memorable campaign by drawing 2-2 with the hosts and making a statement of intent to the rest of the cricketing world.

This time around, though, they are up against a strong England unit. Their reserves of Test specialists have depleted over the years, and their recently concluded performance against Ireland shows that there is a slate of concerns for Pakistan going into the series against England.

Let us discuss the five main challenges they will face against Joe Root and his men:

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#5 Inexperience of the squad

The squad that Pakistan will take to England this summer is full of young and talented individuals, but those who have barely been tested on foreign soils in the longest format of the game.

Pakistan's major performers in their successful tour against England in 2016 were Misbah Ul Haq, Younus Khan, and Yasir Shah - and none of them is in the squad this time around, with the batsmen already into their retirement and the spin-bowler tending a hip-bone injury.

More than half of the 16 players in the squad have not played more than five Test matches, while Sarfraz Ahmed, their skipper, will be traveling to England as a Test skipper for the first time.

The lack of experience is worrying, to say the least, and coach Mikey Arthur must find a way of gelling his team together before the massive tour.

#4 Mohammad Amir's injury

His potential absence will be a major blow to Pakistan and their chances in the series

The seam-bowling spearhead has been quite successful for Pakistan since his return to international cricket and has been a vital cog to whatever amount success they've had in the last couple of years.

However, Amir walked off with an injury after bowling a few overs in the second innings of the Ireland Test. If the left-arm bowler is unavailable for selection ahead of the first Test at Lords on May 24, it will be a huge blow for the visitors.

Considering it was the same venue where the 26-year-old's career was about to crash into an abrupt finish after the spot-fixing ignominy back in 2010.

He would be rearing to redeem himself on that ground this time around, but it remains to see if his body will recover fast enough for him to set his plans in motion.

#3 Lack of Test cricket leading up to the series

The ability to threaten and terrorize the opposition in Test cricket has now deserted Pakistan

While Pakistan did play two practice Tests with Kent and Northamptonshire before taking on Ireland last week, their engagement in the longest format of the game continues to be an alarming concern ahead of the England series.

The way they let Ireland back into the game shows that their ability to threaten and terrorize the opposition in Test cricket has now deserted them.

Before the practice games, the Asian giants last played a Test match in September 2017, when they fell to a humiliating 2-0 defeat in the two-match series against Sri Lanka.

England is a seasoned team in this format of the game and the players in their squad have been drilled to understand the whims and fancies of the same. I

If Pakistan wishes to compete thoroughly in the series, they must take a page out of their opponents' books, and instill the right mentality, which is required in Test cricket, into their young players.

#4 Over-reliance on the Azhar-Asad pair

Pakistan will need Ali and Shafiq to assert their dominance

While the Pakistan squad is characterized by inexperience and dynamism, they do have two players who have been around the Test arena for a while now.

They are both temperamentally sound batsmen with techniques that can cope in the seaming conditions in England, but this time around, the price they must put on their wicket will be higher than ever.

The duo played second fiddle to the greatness of Ul Haq and Younus Khan for far too long and did it to perfection more often than not. This time around, though, they need to don the roles of the iconic duo and step up to the high expectations from them.

However, if Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq fail to assert their dominance on the proceedings, competing with the hosts will be an increasingly uphill task for Ahmed and team.

While Ali could not make an impact in both the innings against Ireland, Shafiq scored a decent fifty in the first.

They need to take the charge to the opposition though, by not settling for small scores anymore and realizing that they are the ones to take it home for Pakistan this time around.

#1 Fielding woes

Pakistan will need to do a lot of work on their fielding

Pakistan put down as many as seven catches over the two innings against Ireland last week. While they could get away with it against Ireland, the Test debutants, such lapses in concentration would cost them dearly against the experience and class of England.

While fielding has always been a concern for Pakistan, they have had the bowling as well as batting virtuosos in their ranks to cover up for their mediocrity in the field, more often than not. This time around, though, their Test team is in transition and does not have maestros in its ranks as of yet.

That is why it is imperative that they latch on to every opportunity that they get in the field, converting half-chances into splendid catches and certain boundaries into saved runs.