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LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday, named their Playing XI for the second Test against Pakistan, marking the return of their regular captain Ben Stokes.
Stokes had been sidelined since August 2024 due to a torn hamstring which he sustained during this year’s edition of The Hundred.
The injury put the all-rounder in doubt for the Pakistan series but he recovered sooner than expected and eventually attained complete fitness for the second Test.
Ben Stokes replaced right-arm pacer Chris Woakes, marking one of the two changes made by the touring party. The second change saw Matthew Potts replacing the rested Gus Atkinson.
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The pacers experienced a stiff workload in the series opener on the surface, favouring the batters. Atkinson bowled a total of 39 overs across two innings, followed by Carse with 38, and Woakes with 35.
Atkinson and Woakes were a regular part of all the six Tests of England home summer while Carse is assumed to be well-rested, considering his absence due to a ban that spanned from June to August.
Meanwhile, left-handed batter Ben Duckett has been reinstated as England’s opener for the second Test against Pakistan after recovering from a dislocated thumb, suffered on the second day of the series opener.
As a result, Jamie Smith has been moved to No. 7 to accommodate Ben Stokes in his preferred batting position of No.6.
England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
READ: Pakistan unveil spin-laden lineup for second Test against England
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