LEEDS: Pakistan will take on England in the second and final Test at Headingley today.
Pakistan head into the second Test 1-0 up, after beating England by nine wickets in the first Test.
The green shirts are aiming for their first Test series win in England since 1996. The last time England lost the first Test in a home summer was in 1995 against West Indies.
On Thursday, Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed said, even though the team is performing as per expectations it still has “a lot to learn”.
“It’s a good sign that our team is performing as per expectations in all three departments. But we have a lot to learn and have to accomplish a lot,” the Pakistani skipper said while speaking to journalists at Headingley.
Pakistan won the first Test by nine wickets at Lord’s inside four days on Sunday to go 1-0 up in a two-match series but England team captain Joe Root believes the fact his team are back in action so soon will benefit them in Leeds.
“I think it helps us getting straight back into it, not having too much time to think about things,” Root said ahead of a match in his Yorkshire home ground.
“It was very clear where we needed to improve from last week,” added the batsman, whose England side have lost six of their last eight Test matches.
“We’ve had some good preparation, the guys have really worked hard and now it’s just doing it, going out and proving a point, putting a really strong performance in as a group and showing some pride in the badge.”
Amir eyes ‘best memory of his life’
Pacer Mohammad Amir claims bowling Pakistan to a Test series win in England would be “the best memory” of his life.
The 26-year-old bowler, who took five wickets in Pakistan’s nine-wicket triumph at Lord’s, told reporters ahead of the second Test, “It’s a big achievement winning in Test cricket in England against England at home.”
He said, “If we win the series I think it will be the best memory of my life.”
Squads
England (probable): Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes/Sam Curran, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
Pakistan (probable): Azhar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Usman Salahuddin, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain & wicketkeeper), Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas.
The match will begin at 3 PST.
