The England cricket team on Saturday announced their playing XI for the first Test match against Pakistan, scheduled to begin on October 7 at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

With regular captain Ben Stokes still recovering from a hamstring injury, Ollie Pope has been named the stand-in captain for the first Test.

Durham pacer Brydon Carse is set to make his Test debut, while left-arm spinner Jack Leach makes a return to the squad after a lengthy absence, last featuring in England's tour of India in January.

Zak Crawley, who had suffered a broken finger during the summer, is also included in the lineup after fully recovering from the injury.

Ben Stokes sustained the hamstring injury during The Hundred League, which forced him to miss the recent Test series against Sri Lanka. Despite initial hopes from the England Cricket Board (ECB) that he would be fit for the series against Pakistan, Stokes has not recovered in time for the opening match.

The England side features a balanced combination of experienced campaigners and emerging talents. Along with Carse’s debut, the pace attack will also feature Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson. The batting lineup, spearheaded by former captain Joe Root, will rely on the talents of Pope, Crawley, Harry Brook, and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

The Pakistan team, led by Shan Masood, will face England for the three-match series, with the first two Tests scheduled in Multan, followed by the third in Rawalpindi.

England playing XI for 1st test:

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope (C)
Joe Root
Harry Brook
Jamie Smith (wk)
Chris Woakes
Gus Atkinson
Brydon Carse (debut)
Jack Leach
Shoaib Bashir

Schedule of series:

1st Test: October 7-11 – Multan
2nd Test: October 15-19 – Multan
3rd Test: October 24-28 – Rawalpindi