Ben Stokes ruled out of first Test against Pakistan

England will be without their regular captain Ben Stokes for the first Test against Pakistan in Multan, as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury suffered over two months ago during a match in The Hundred.

Ollie Pope will lead the team in Stokes's absence, marking his first away Test as captain and his fourth consecutive match in charge. Pope recently led England to a 2-1 series win against Sri Lanka at home.

Fast bowler Brydon Carse, who has taken 127 first-class wickets at an average of 33.78 in 48 matches, will make his Test debut. He will be joined by Chris Woakes, playing his first overseas Test in two and a half years, and Gus Atkinson, who made his Test debut earlier this summer. Carse comes into the series with momentum, having taken eight wickets in five ODIs against Australia.

This will be the first time Carse, Woakes, and Atkinson play a first-class match in Pakistan. Zak Crawley, who scored a 111-ball 122 during England's record-breaking first day in the Rawalpindi Test in 2022, will reunite with Ben Duckett at the top of the order. Crawley had missed the three Tests against Sri Lanka after fracturing his finger while attempting a catch in the final Test against the West Indies.

The spin department will feature off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and left-arm orthodox Jack Leach. During a training session on Saturday, Stokes was seen doing shuttle runs with England's strength and conditioning coach, Peter Sim, before batting in the nets. The all-rounder has stated that he will not rush his return due to the risk of reinjuring his hamstring.

The second Test, also in Multan, begins on October 15, with England hopeful of Stokes's return for that match. The first Test starts on Monday, while the third Test is scheduled for October 24 in Rawalpindi.

England squad for the first Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse (Debut), Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir