Atkinson, Rehan back in Eng XI

Durham duo of Carse and Potts dropped from third Test

England have revealed their playing XI for the third Test against Pakistan, which will begin on Thursday in Rawalpindi.

There are two changes to the side that played in the second Test in Multan. Fast bowler Gus Atkinson makes his return, while leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed is back in the squad for the first time since his Test appearance against India in Rajkot last February.

The Durham duo of Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts will not be playing in this match.

England XI for Rawalpindi Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C) Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir.

Hamza doubtful for third Test against England

Pakistan faces a significant challenge ahead of the decisive third Test against England, scheduled to begin on October 24 in Rawalpindi. The team's left-arm pacer, Mir Hamza, is dealing with a niggle in his right glute, casting uncertainty over his participation in the match.

Hamza was absent from training during Pakistan's three-hour practice session on Tuesday, where he focused on rehabilitation instead of bowling. He was observed pacing around the field initially and later engaged in glute-strengthening exercises using resistance bands under the supervision of physiotherapist Cliffe Deacon. His workout routine included double and single-leg glute bridges, as well as clam shells, aiming to regain fitness for the crucial match.

Reports indicate that Hamza also sat out of bowling during Monday's practice session, which marked Pakistan's first at the Rawalpindi venue leading up to the Test.

In contrast, fast bowler Mohammad Ali, another member of Pakistan's 16-man squad, was seen bowling at full intensity in the nets, positioning himself as a potential replacement for leg-spinner Zahid Mehmood. Ali has previous experience in Rawalpindi, having played in Pakistan's last three Tests there.

However, his performances have been less than stellar; since his debut against England in December 2022, he has taken only six wickets at an average of 55.50. In his most recent outing at this venue, he ended wicketless, conceding 57 runs over 24 overs.

Harry Brook excited about Pindi decider

England's top-order batter, Harry Brook, has expressed his excitement and confidence ahead of the series-deciding third Test against Pakistan, set to take place from October 24 to 28 at Rawalpindi.

With the series tied at 1-1, Brook remains hopeful that England will deliver a strong performance in the final match. "It's exciting, it's good to play in deciding games, and hopefully, we can put in a good performance," Brook said during a media conference.

England won the first Test but suffered a setback in the second, where Pakistan's spinners dominated.

Reflecting on the Rawalpindi pitch, which is reportedly being prepared under similar spin-friendly conditions to the second Test in Multan, Brook added, "God knows, to be honest. Everybody goes and looks at the wickets and says something different. You just have to wait and see. Hopefully, it's like any other Pakistani pitch – good to bat on for the first few days, and then we can get some turn at the backend."

Brook made headlines during the series opener with a stellar performance, amassing a record-breaking 317 runs, becoming only the sixth English batter to score a triple century in Test cricket. Speaking about his achievement, he said, "It was nice to get that amount of runs, but I'm still hungry to score a lot more. Hopefully, I can play a big part in this game."

Pakistan broke their home losing streak in the second Test with standout performances from spin duo Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali, who took a combined 20 wickets. Aware of the threat posed by the spinners, Brook remarked, "Obviously, they're both going to play a massive part in their team this week. We've spoken about game plans, and hopefully, it pays off."