England Test contingent to comprise a chef for upcoming Pakistan tour amid complaints during white-ball tour - Reports

England's touring party for the upcoming three-match Test series on the subcontinent against Pakistan will consist of a chef of their choosing. Players reportedly complained of poor catering services during their trip to Pakistan earlier this year.

The recently crowned world champions competed in a seven-match T20I series in September 2022, where they emerged victorious by a slender 4-3 margin. Over the course of the tour, which took place in Lahore and Karachi, several players suffered bouts of food poisoning, which led to poor feedback from players and support staff alike in the build-up to the red-ball leg of the Pakistan tour.

While England were spared from severe cases over the course of the T20I series, they might not be met with the same fate as they are scheduled to play a grueling three-match Test series in December 2022. As a result, the England Wales and Cricket Board (ECB) have taken precautionary measures to add a chef to their crew to prepare curtailed menus.

According to a report from ESPN Cricinfo, Cricket Australia regret not including a chef among their ranks on their tour of Pakistan in early 2022.Stand-in captain Moeen Ali also said earlier this year when asked about the food in the country:

"Food-wise, I have been a little bit disappointed in Lahore. Karachi was really nice."

The team are no strangers when it comes to issues related to food. Spinner Jack Leach, who suffers from inflammatory bowel syndrome, suffered a bad case of food poisoning and had to be hospitalized during the tour of New Zealand three years ago.

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England's 2018 FIFA World Cup chef Omar Meziane expected to travel with team to Pakistan

The upcoming tour marks the first time that the English cricket team are including a chef for a tour. Omar Meziane, who assisted the nation's football team during their 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2020 UEFA Euro campaigns, will reportedly travel with the Ben Stokes-led side next month.

The two sides will begin the tour with the first Test on Thursday, December 1, in Rawalpindi. Multan and Karachi have been allotted to host the remaining two Tests.

This is the first overseas tour for Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum since taking over the Test side as captain and coach respectively. The duo have only faced one defeat so far and have two series wins under their belt.

England squad for Pakistan Test series

Ben Stokes (capt), James Anderson, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (wk), Will Jacks, Keaton Jennings, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood

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