Sat Oct 05 05:12:00 UTC 2024: ## England’s Young Pace Attack Faces Test in Pakistan’s Scorching Heat and Smog
**MULTAN –** England’s opening batsman Zak Crawley has acknowledged the challenging conditions awaiting his team’s young pace attack during their upcoming Test series in Pakistan. The series, starting on Monday in Multan, will be played under searing temperatures and amidst high levels of smog, according to air quality monitoring firm IQAir.
“It will be challenging, but we have got all the things in place to counter that,” said Crawley, who returns to the squad after recovering from a fractured finger. He highlighted the “test of character and skill” that awaits England’s inexperienced pace bowlers, a group navigating their first tour of Pakistan.
The squad boasts a quintet of pace bowlers – Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes – replacing the retired veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
“These young guys have got a lot of skill,” Crawley said. “Being young brings in energy and fire in the belly as well, and I am sure they will be raring to go and do well.”
England’s confidence stems from their recent dominance over Pakistan, having swept them 3-0 in 2022. Crawley is one of eight players in the current squad who participated in that series.
“I think we will put pressure on the opponents, like the last time,” he said, alluding to England’s aggressive “Bazball” tactics.
The first Test begins in Multan on Monday, followed by the second Test in the same city on October 15th. The series concludes in Rawalpindi from October 24th.
First Piper 