For the last match in Rawalpindi, For the last match in Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s Playing XI will be the same as the one that defeated England by 152 runs in the second Test. One day after England revealed a change in their bowling combination to meet the triple-spin attack that worked well for Pakistan in Multan, the PCB made the announcement.
Pakistan has selected an unchanged eleven for the first time under captain Shan Masood. Although there was a possibility that Pakistan may change their lineup and add a seamer to replace Zahid Mahmood, who bowled just six useless overs in Multan, the choice is not shocking. But any prospect of that occurring was ruined by an injury to Mir Hamza, their first choice.
The curators’ attempts to make the Rawalpindi surface behave more like the one for the second Test in Multan are what led to the decision. In the past, Pindi has never taken much spin, even late in Test matches. In August, Pakistan launched an all-pace attack against Bangladesh, the only other Test match played on this surface.
However, since last week’s successful gamble in Multan, plans for a recurrence have exploded. The curators arrived in Pindi before the conclusion of the second Test; selection committee members Aleem Dar and Aqib Javed travelled there on the day of the match.
Over the weekend, wedding-style heaters and industrial-sized fans were brought in, and the surface was surrounded by windbreakers. By Monday, the huge fans were operating, but the warmers had disappeared. There are a few footmarks on the strip, particularly outside the off-stump on the left-hander near the media end. In their bowling lineups, each team has a legspinner, finger spinner, and left-arm spinner.
The series is tied at 1-1. Pakistan wants to win the series for the first time since they defeated South Africa 2-0 in July and for the first time at home since February 2021.
Pakistan’s Playing XI
- Saim Ayub
- Abdullah Shafique
- Shan Masood (capt)
- Kamran Ghulam
- Saud Shakeel
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Salman Agha
- Aamer Jamal
- Sajid Khan
- Noman Ali
- Zahid Mahmood
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