12 Jun 2019
England look to rebound from a disappointing tour of the southern hemisphere against a Pakistan side who have won six of their last 12 Test series.
England and coach Trevor Bayliss will have plenty of pressure on them during the two match test series against Pakistan after a shocking Ashes series defeat and sub-standard performances in New Zealand. Joe Root will lead England with confidence that he can turn a poor six months around, however a young Pakistan side will hope to pile on the misery for the England test set-up.
Having lost their last two test series abroad, the England side will be relishing being back on home soil where they haven’t lost since 2012 – against an immensely strong South African team led by Graeme Smith. Pakistan’s last test series in England was extremely competitive, the four-match series finished 2-2 and will give the tourists a boat load of confidence for this summer.
However, Pakistan has lost a few faces since 2016, with all-time greats Misbah and Younes hanging up their whites. Despite plenty of talent and potential, the tourists are widely unproven on the international stage, remaining reliant on Azhar Ali - averaging 47 with the bat over his career – to anchor the batting order.
Despite the side lacking some big names, the Pakistan team sheet will have a familiar name, Imam-ul-Haq. He is nephew of Inzaman and will likely open the batting order having shown immense promise in both first-class cricket and his one-day international career. The 22-year-old is a big prospect for the future and his 74 not out in the test match win over Ireland this month – against former England seamers Murtagh and Rankin – will give him plenty of confidence for the two-match series.
England’s squad selection has seen a couple of surprise names emerge. Jos Buttler has been recalled as a specialist batsman in place of James Vince – who was incredibly unlucky to miss out having already scored a double century in domestic cricket this year. Buttler has a career average of just 31 in Test cricket, but England selectors will hope his counter attacking style will bring flair to the middle order.
Dom Bess, the 20-year-old spinner from Somerset, has been called up to the squad for the first time seeking to finally solve England’s spin woes. With only one wicket in two matches so far this first class season he has not displayed the best form, but his selection is a clear indication that the selectors have one eye on the future. His first game at Lord’s – which is traditionally unfriendly to spinners – will certainly be an interesting subplot to watch.
Will England rebound from a disappointing Winter, or will Pakistan once again solve English conditions to stifle English hopes?
A victory at Lord’s to set up a successful summer
The first test at Lord’s will see a fascinating battle between England’s bowling attack and Pakistan’s inexperienced top order. Jimmy Anderson, one of the few to emerge from the Ashes unscathed after taking 17 wickets at an average of 27, will hope to extend his record as England’s all time leading wicket taker with strong performances against Pakistan, before turning his attention to the series versus India later in the summer. Anderson to take the most wickets in the match at 5/2 is well worth a flutter as he has five previous 5-wicket-hauls at the home of cricket.
England will hope to use a victory at Lord’s as springboard for the rest of a busy summer. However, Lord’s has long thrown up mixed results for this England team and with Pakistan having won there in 2016, the visitors to win the first test at 17/4 represents great value.
Amir and Abbas will look to unsettle the England top order
Mohammad Amir is a well-known figure to the English public after the betting scandal in 2010 that resulted in his ban from cricket and subsequent imprisonment. Since making his comeback in 2015 his form has been mixed, but his fast-paced swing bowling is perfectly suited to English conditions – his 14 wickets in three games for Essex in 2017 should worry England. Amir to be Pakistan’s top wicket taker at Lord’s at 5/2, would certainly represent another step in his comeback effort.
The emergence of Mohammad Abbas who has taken 32 wickets in five test matches will lead to little respite for the England top order. Joe Root, averaging over 52 in his 14 test matches as captain, will look to be a steady presence at number 3. Having scored three previous tons at Lord’s, getting Root at 11/4 to be England’s top run getter is well worth a punt.
If you’re looking for slightly better value, Dawid Malan - batting at his home ground – will need to play well over the two test matches to establish his position in the side. Having looked promising whilst averaging 42 in Australia, getting Malan at 6/1 to be top scorer for England in what many will hope to be a victory represents an opportunity for good returns.
Watch live Test Match action in your local Genting casino. Find your nearest casino here.
