England announce playing XI for opening Test against Pakistan

RAWALPINDI: England have announced their playing XI for the opening Test against Pakistan which is going to start from 1 December (tomorrow). The first match between the two teams will be played in Rawalpindi.

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All-rounder Liam Livingstone is all set to make his debut in red-ball cricket, while middle-order batter Ben Duckett has received a long-awaited recall against Pakistan. This will be the first Test match of Livingstone’s his international career. He is considered as one of the dangerous batsmen of limited overs cricket. Although he did not get a chance to play a Test match after his international debut. Apart from Livingstone, Ben Duckett has also got a chance. He will be seen opening the England innings with Jack Crowley in this match.

“It was a pretty simple conversation I had with him (Livingstone), actually before we went out to Australia for the World Cup,” said Stokes in the pre-match presser.

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“Obviously, I told him where we stood in terms of him playing some red-ball cricket out in the subcontinent.

“With the skill he has with the ball and the way he plays with the bat is very aligned with how me and Baz want to see the team play. He jumped at the opportunity.

Pakistan-England Test Series Schedule

1st Test (Rawalpindi) – 1 to 5 December

Second Test (Multan) – 9 to 13 December

Third Test (Karachi) – 17 to 21 December

England team’s playing XI for the first Test match