England fast bowler Olly Stone is set to leave the tourists’ squad ahead of his wedding but will return to Pakistan for the three-match series at a later date.
The Warwickshire seamer was included in the England squad for the tour but Brydon Carse was chosen ahead of him for the first Test in Multan.
Stone took seven wickets in two Tests against Sri Lanka at the end of the summer in his first appearance for the red-ball side in three years.
England are not expected to call up a replacement for Stone and he is set to rejoin the squad after his wedding to fiancee Jess on Saturday with a return date yet to be decided.
However, with a tight turnaround between Stone’s wedding and the second Test, which starts on Tuesday October 15, he is unlikely to feature.
“We booked the wedding on the basis of me only playing for Notts at the time,” Stone recently told the BBC. “Jess said she was happy to move the wedding and I was adamant on keeping it where it was if possible. For what she has given up and sacrificed for me, I thought the least I could do was to try and make it work.”
Carse, Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes are the three seamers selected to play in the first Test, with Matthew Potts another seam option for England.
England are playing their first two Tests in Multan before heading to Rawalpindi for the third and final match as they look to build on their 3-0 whitewash in 2022.
England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the first Test in Pakistan as he continues to recover from a torn hamstring with Ollie Pope deputising as skipper in his place.
What will England do without Stone?
Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain said:
“They have Matthew Potts. I think England will feel comfortable. Stokes was having a bowl during the nets session.
“It’s not the ideal situation with Duckett injured as well, I think Potts is a big, strong, healthy lad. That’s more the issue, can the bowlers who have bowled in this game go again?
“With Olly Stone going home, the physio has to get into the minds and the bodies of the lads who have played in this game because back to back in this heat you’d want to freshen it up.
“England need to get as close as they can. The third inning becomes difficult. Test cricket can’t afford this pitch to be like this for five days, no wonder no one is in.”
First Test: Multan – October 7-11
Second Test: Multan – October 15-19
Third Test: Rawalpindi – October 24-28
Every match from the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup is also live on Sky Sports from October 3-20 with Australia aiming for a third straight title and seventh overall, and England seeking to triumph for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2009.
Watch day three of the first Test between Pakistan and England in Multan, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.50am on Tuesday, ahead of play starting from 6am.
Source : Sky Sports
