Pakistan will look to carry the momentum of their recent series-levelling victory over the West Indies into a demanding three-Test series against England, beginning at Headingley in Leeds on Wednesday (today).

The match starts at 3pm PST, with both sides seeking consistency after difficult runs in the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle.

Pakistan have struggled badly in the longest format, losing 14 of their last 18 Tests. They sit eighth in the championship standings with two wins from six matches, while England are seventh with four victories from 13.

England also enter the series with questions to answer after losing 2-1 at home to New Zealand recently. After taking the opening Test in June, the hosts were beaten in the next two matches as New Zealand fought back to claim the series.

With Joe Root returning as captain, England will hope to exploit Pakistan’s vulnerability against pace and movement, particularly at Headingley, where the surface traditionally offers bounce and assistance to seam bowlers.

The exact nature of the pitch will only become clearer on match day, but any significant grass cover could pose a substantial challenge to Pakistan’s batting. Their preparation received a boost in Kent, where they defeated a PCC Select XI in a practice match, with Saud Shakeel scoring an impressive century.

Headingley, however, is expected to provide a markedly tougher examination.

One of Pakistan’s biggest concerns till filing of this story is the fitness of captain Babar Azam. Babar was struck on his right hand during the practice match in Kent and left the field as a precaution. The same hand had also been hit during the final Test against the West Indies.

He returned to Headingley on Monday for a brief throw-down batting session, but his participation in the opening Test remained uncertain.

Shan Masood is fit after missing the second Test against the West Indies with a finger injury. He also did not take part in the Kent practice match, but is expected to return to the side at Headingley.

If the pitch retains considerable grass, Pakistan could opt for four fast bowlers.

Abbas, who has extensive county cricket experience, could be particularly valuable in English conditions, while Mohammad Ali’s accuracy and ability to extract movement may provide another threat to England’s top order.

England, meanwhile, will begin a new phase under Root, with the experienced batter once again entrusted with leading the side. Dan Lawrence returns to Test cricket after a two-year absence and could offer an additional option with his off-spin.

England will be without Jacob Bethell, who is recovering from a right knee injury sustained during the ODI series against India. Jordan Cox has been called into the squad as his replacement.

Former New Zealand great Stephen Fleming has taken over as England’s head coach, adding another layer of intrigue to the new Root-Fleming partnership.

Pakistan are touring England for a Test series after six years. Their last visit, in 2020, ended in a 1-0 defeat in a three-match series.

With both teams under pressure to improve their championship campaigns, Headingley offers little margin for error. For Pakistan, the immediate challenge will be to translate their recent success against the West Indies into a performance capable of standing up to England’s pace attack on home soil.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shan Masood, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Awais Zafar, Saud Shakeel, Ghazi Ghori, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Sajid Khan, Ubaid Shah, Ali Usman.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.