Pakistan expect spin to have a major say at Headingley Test

Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel believes conditions in England may suit his side when the first ICC World Test Championship contest commences in Leeds on Wednesday.

Pakistan arrived on England shores full of confidence following their eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in Port of Spain at the start of the month and continued that winning run with a seven-wicket triumph over a Professional County Club Select XI at Beckenham ahead of the first Test with England.

Shakeel was the star of the show during that win over that Professional County Club Select XI as he contributed a superb unbeaten century, while left-arm spinner Ali Usman collected a five-wicket haul to continue the good form he displayed against the West Indies.

While Shakeel is unsure exactly what the conditions will look like when the first Test gets underway at Headingley, the left-hander thinks the recent hot summer in England may suit Pakistan's spinners as the match progresses.

"I think the way the summer is here in England, the pitches might become quite dry and bring spin into it," Shakeel said.

"In the (recent) New Zealand series here, in the last Test the ball was spinning plenty."

The Test in Leeds will be Shakeel's first in England, though the 30-year-old does have some familiarity to the famous Headingley ground having played three matches for Yorkshire during a stint in the County Championship back in 2023.

England will entre the match with a new-look team, with veteran batter Joe Root to captain the side following the recent retirement of long-time skipper Ben Stokes and the departure of coach Brendon McCullum.

It remains to be seen whether England will continue the Bazball tactics they employed in recent times under the tutelage of McCullum, with Shakeel suggesting Pakistan must be ready to adapt whatever the opposition throws at them.

"Every Test is challenging. Test cricket brings a new challenge every day. This is no different, and we're trying to make sure we give the best account of ourselves here," Shakeel added.

"We're not thinking of the series in terms of Bazball. You should play according to the conditions and requirements. On this ground, the outfield is very fast and that might suit attacking shot play. But we're not going to change our playing style just because of how the opposition are playing. We aim to play the way we think is the best way to play."

Series schedule:

First Test: August 19–23, Headingley
Second Test: August 27–31, Lord's
Third Test: September 9–13, Edgbaston