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The England cricket team is already in Pakistan after 17-year-long hiatus. The Three Lions will play Pakistan in a three-match Test series, starting December 1, 2022 in Rawalpindi.
Ahead of this, the England team suffered a major blow as head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed that pacer Mark Wood will miss the first Test after he sustained a hip injury during the T20 World Cup 2022 campaign. The star pacer also missed the semifinal and final game of the marquee event and will continue to remain on the sidelines for the 1 st Test.
However, Liam Livingstone is all set to make his Test debut. The Ben Stokes-led team on Tuesday announced the Playing XI for the first Test in which they confirmed Livingstone’s debut for the Three Lions. While the batter boosts of a decent First-class record, he hasn’t played red-ball cricket since September 2021.
Ben Duckett has also been called as Jonny Bairstow’s cover. The left-handed batter will open the innings for England after six long years. Notably, Duckett last played Test cricket in 2016.
England’s Playing XI for 1 st Test:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes (WK), Liam Livingstone, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, James Anderson
