Brendon McCullum Eyes Tough Challenge in Pakistan Test Series

Brendon McCullum, England’s coach acknowledged the challenges his team faces in Pakistan, despite their successful tour in 2022 where they achieved a historic 3-0 series win. Pakistan is currently facing a ten-match winless streak at home increasing the pressure for the upcoming Test series. With the first Test starting on Monday in Multan, England will be without injured captain Ben Stokes and only Chris Woakes has prior experience playing in Asia among their pace bowlers.

True to their recent trend, England did not play a warm-up match before this series, coming directly from their home summer. Brendon McCullum emphasized the need for high expectations while also being realistic about the difficulties of playing in Pakistan’s home conditions which have historically posed a significant challenge for visiting teams. Pakistan has a formidable record on home soil with only two losses out of 13 home series between 2009 and 2019.

However, their recent form has been troubling, highlighted by a defeat to Australia in early 2022 marking the beginning of their current winless streak. The conditions in Multan are expected to differ significantly from their last visit, with higher temperatures and slightly greener pitches. England’s bowling lineup has changed since their last tour with James Anderson retired and Ollie Robinson dropped leaving Woakes, Gus Atkinson and debutant Brydon Carse to lead the attack.

Although Anderson has been consulting with the team, he won’t arrive in Pakistan until the second day of the Test. On the other hand, Pakistan’s captain Shan Masood faces immense pressure after a series of losses including a recent defeat against Bangladesh. He emphasized the team’s commitment to positivity and consistency as they aim to rebuild and turn their fortunes around under new coach Jason Gillespie.