England may very well be without Ben Stokes for next week’s opening Test in Pakistan, with Zak Crawley admitting the tourists have no idea if the captain can be fit for duty.
Stokes tore his hamstring in August while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred and sat out the three-match series against Sri Lanka, leaving Ollie Pope to take over as skipper.
He had been hoping to make his comeback in Monday’s series opener in Multan but has yet to be given the green light.
Stokes was available for England’s first rehearsal but bowled only a handful of gentle deliveries off a few strides and looked uncomfortable at times during his batting stint.
Asked if he could be able to reclaim the reins, Crawley said: “I feel he’s got to do just a few more tests, but he’s been doing a little running and stuff.
“He appears to be going well, recovering well from his injury, (but) we don’t know just yet. We feel ready, whatever team comes out it’s going to be a pleasant balance either way.
“We’ve got a very deep squad with loads of options with the ball and with the bat as well.”
Selection Solution
Should Stokes be confined to the balcony, where he watched all three of the games against Sri Lanka in an observing capability, it could spare England a difficult team selection.
Were he to play as a specialist batter, as he has done before when carrying niggles, England would surely need a fifth bowling option and should be forced to chop one in all the highest six.
Crawley, though, has been cleared for motion after his own lay-off with a broken finger.
He’ll take a brief sabbatical from the slips, where he suffered the fracture against the West Indies at Edgbaston, but is otherwise fighting fit and has been netting for just over a fortnight.
“I feel brand latest. I’m looking forward to getting on the market,” he said.
“I couldn’t pick up a bat for five weeks. I’ve definitely missed it, so I can’t wait to get on the market again with the boys.
“It was a nasty break on the time but I’ve recovered well and I don’t feel it in any respect while I’m batting.
“I won’t go at slip, just from advice from the doctor, but I feel like I could. I’m attempting to rest it but I did just a few catches and it feels positive. I’m just attempting to follow the skilled advice.”
Able to Roll
Crawley’s enforced downtime means he has not played a competitive innings since July 26 but, despite having no warm-up fixtures leading into the Test series, feels greater than able to go.
“I all the time consider it like I’ve been preparing for this my whole life,” he said.
“It’s not like I would like two weeks to organize, because that is something I’ve been doing since I used to be 12 years old. I’m all the time able to play. That’s just what I do.”
Crawley has good memories of playing Pakistan, against whom his average leaps from its overall mark of 32.23 to 69.37. He was the primary of 4 England centurions on a remarkable opening day of their previous tour in 2022, which saw them rack up over 500 runs in only 75 overs.
“That’s my favourite thing about opening, you get to create the tempo and set it on your innings,” he said.
“I like doing that. I take pride in that knock, one in all the favourite days of my profession.”
England noted a tinge of green on the pitch once they practised on Friday and should ponder a 3rd seamer, bringing Brydon Carse into the frame for a possible debut.
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