Cricbeat

Pakistan vs England Ist Test Dubai, 2012: Even though England are currently the number one ranked test team it will be as bigger a test for them as it will be for Pakistan. Despite being number one and being dominant at home and in Australia, England have generally been poor in Asian conditions. On the other hand Pakistan who had a very successful year where they didn't lose a test know that they faced rather mediocre sides and England will be their first real test to prove that they really are a side on the rise.

Pakistan's tour to England in 2010 ended badly, three of their players were involved in a match fixing scandal and are now serving an ICC ban and are currently in prison in UK. The tour also saw some heated verbals and even a physical confrontation between Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz and English batsman Jonathan Trott, pacer Wahab is part of the current squad too.

 

England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Chris Tremlett

Pakistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnam Akmal (wk), 8 Abdur Rehman, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Wahab Riaz