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Anderson played a key role in England’s 3-0 victory sweep of Pakistan on their most recent tour. He participated in the first two Test matches, claiming eight wickets at an economy rate of 18.50 (including a delivery to Mohammad Rizwan that he called “one of my best”). He also served as Mark Wood’s and Ollie Robinson’s fast-bowling coach, with the two of them sharing 17 wickets.
However, two years later, they are all missing: Robinson has lost favour after one too many false dawns, Wood is out due to an elbow injury, and Anderson was forced into retirement in July. Now, it is another step into the unknown for five seamers who have never played a first-class match in Pakistan: Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes.
The absence of Anderson during the series’ build-up just makes that worse. While competing in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, England claims that he has been in regular communication with their quicks. However, he won’t get to Pakistan until the second day of the first Test, and WhatsApp cannot replace in-person instruction.
Ben Stokes’ probable absence from the opening Test means that Woakes will likely play his first away Test in 2.5 years and his first in Asia since 2016. This will give him the opportunity to lead the attack and improve his infamously poor record abroad. Together, the other four fast bowlers for England have only participated in one overseas Test.
After suffering a thigh ache in the final Test of the summer, Atkinson was rested from the white-ball series against Australia in September, but he bowled in practise on Friday. Even though Stone did play one home game for the Multan Sultans in February, Carse, Potts, and Stone all made appearances in the ODIs, but they will be learning on the job in Pakistan.
Both on and off the pitch, Multan requires rapid adaptation. England’s first training session took place in a temperature that reached forty degrees on Friday. Although the team is staying in an opulent hotel with a golf course view, their presidential-level protection means they won’t be seeing much of the city during the next two and a half weeks.
Crawley is the most recent England player to make reference to remarks made by Pakistan’s captain, Shan Masood, prior to their series against Bangladesh earlier this month. Masood said his team was at their best “wherever there’s been help for the fast bowlers,” but the preparation of a lively Rawalpindi pitch proved to be counterproductive as they lost consecutively.