Pakistan keep faith in unchanged XI

The series decider against England will be played in Rawalpindi

Pakistan men's selection committee has decided not to make any change to their playing XI for the series-deciding Test against England, starting here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on October 24.

As confirmed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the men's selection committee has confirmed that Shan Masood XI will be unchanged for the third Test.

Spinners Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan gave nightmares to the English batters in Multan. Pakistan clinched the second Test by 152 runs to level the three-match series 1-1.

Following the successful pitch recipe in Multan, the selectors and team management of the home side asked curators in Pindi to make a replica of the pitch used for the second Test.

To change the nature of the Pindi pitch, which is mostly known for its batting-friendly nature, curators tried different tricks. Large-size pedestal fans and heaters have been used to dry the pitch and square.

As a result, England were also forced to make a change to their side, bringing in the third spinner, Rehan Ahmed, for the final Test. The visitors will now have three spinners, Jack Leach, Rehan, and Shoaib Bashir, and only a specialist pacer, Gus Atkinson, in their playing XI.

Speaking at the press conference here on Wednesday, England's skipper, Ben Stokes, reiterated that the pitch looks good but who knows how it turns when some cricket is played on it.

"Who knows what happens, it looks like a very good wicket at the moment. With some cricket on it, it might change. We have tried to read the pitch, as much as possible," Stokes replied when asked about an 'expected' spin-friendly wicket.

It must be noted here that Pakistan were struggling to find a win at home for the last three years. The victory in Multan brought joy and excitement for the cricket fans in the country who now aim for a series victory by the Shaheens.

Agha Salman surges in ICC rankings

Pakistan all-rounder Agha Salman has made a massive leap in the latest ICC Test rankings following his standout performances in the ongoing three-match series against England.

Salman climbed eight places, now sitting at 14th with 684 rating points. His impressive rise highlights his growing influence in Pakistan's Test setup.

In contrast, former skipper Babar Azam and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan experienced significant drops. Babar fell four spots from 15th to 19th, now holding 677 rating points, following underwhelming performances in the shorter format. Rizwan also slid, landing at 21st with 669 rating points.

Saud Shakeel, another Pakistani batter, dropped seven places, now ranking 27th with 642 points. Abdullah Shafique has also seen a dip, dropping to 43rd with 548 points.

On the bowling front, Pakistan's pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi retained his 14th place with 674 rating points. Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who were pivotal in Pakistan's second Test win, made notable strides. Noman is now 17th with 677 rating points, while Sajid jumped 22 spots, reaching 50th with 387 points.

Across the rankings, there has been a shuffle near the top, particularly with India and New Zealand players. India's Rishabh Pant made a remarkable return, climbing three places to 6th in the Test batter rankings. His scores of 20 and 99 against New Zealand have moved him ahead of teammate Virat Kohli, who now sits tied for 8th.

England's Joe Root continues to dominate as the top-ranked Test batter, while Yashasvi Jaiswal (4th), Pant (6th), and Kohli (8th) represent India in the top 10.

For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra surged 36 places to 18th, and Devon Conway climbed to 36th. On the bowling side, Matt Henry's eight-wicket haul against India propelled him to 9th, a career-high ranking.