PAK vs ENG: Brendon McCullum warns England of tough Pakistan conditions
England’s coach, Brendon McCullum, has warned that it will be tough for his team to repeat their success in Pakistan from 2022 when they start their new Test series on Monday, especially with the extreme heat in Multan.
During their 2022 tour, McCullum’s first as head coach, England surprised everyone by winning all three Test matches, a 3-0 clean sweep. This was a shock for Pakistan and their fans, as it was the first time any visiting team had won a series 3-0 in Pakistan.
Before that, England had played 24 Test matches in Pakistan, but had only managed to win two, making their 2022 victory even more special.
As the two teams meet again for a three-match series, Pakistan appears to be struggling, especially after a 2-0 series loss to Bangladesh at home. However, McCullum expects Pakistan to fight back hard and give England a difficult challenge.
McCullum reflected on the 2022 series, calling it a great achievement, but admitted that their clean sweep was an exception in Pakistan’s history. “We know it was special, but it’s probably not something we should expect to happen again,” he said, as quoted by The Independent.
He also made it clear that his team understands the challenge ahead, saying, “We’re realistic about how tough it is to play against Pakistan, especially at home. They’re a proud team, and it’s always difficult to beat them in their own conditions.”
McCullum added that Pakistan would be very competitive and eager to beat England this time. “It’s not going to be easy,” he admitted.
Besides Pakistan’s strength, England will also have to deal with the hot weather. When they played in December 2022, the weather was much cooler, but this time, in October, temperatures are soaring. McCullum remembered how cold it was last time, saying, “It was about 20 degrees then; we even wore sweaters in the morning.”
Now, with the extreme heat, his players have been trying to adjust. McCullum shared that their practice on the golf course in Multan was difficult due to the heat, but he feels the team has started getting used to it.
Playing XIs for the first Test:
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (captain), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse (debut), Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
Schedule:
- Oct 7-11 – First Test, Multan
- Oct 15-19 – Second Test, Multan
- Oct 24-28 – Third Test, Rawalpindi
