Eoin Morgan revealed England are considering playing three spinners against Pakistan in Wednesday’s opening one-day global at the Ageas Bowl.
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Hampshire’s left-armer Liam Dawson could make his debut on his home ground, with fellow spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali set to also be named in the starting XI.
Wood, making his first worldwide appearance since England’s tour of the UAE past year, was consistently above 90mph in his opening spell – his ankle no longer impeding his ability to throw his body through the crease – and he claimed the first wicket of the day, Sharjeel Khan getting a thin top edge on a pull, confirmed by the Snickometer after a review, after biffing a few early boundaries.
Roy is now hoping to build on his good innings in the second one-day global on Sunday, claiming he needs to put together a consistent run of big scores if he is to earn a Test call.
Pakistan One-Day International (ODI) captain Azhar Ali wants to see the team take the form that has made them the world’s number one-ranked Test side into their ODI series against England.
Pakistan this week went went top of the International Cricket Council Test rankings for the first time, following the 2-2 draw with England.
Pakistan defeated squash powerhouse Egypt 2-1 in the final to claim the title they last won eight years ago and Ahmed, who played a crucial part in the team’s triumph, believes the players have received a huge confidence boost.
In contrast, Sarfraz (55 off 58) was positive from the off and led the way in a stand of 65 runs in 11.5 overs after Pakistan, ranked ninth in the world, opted to bat first under sunny skies after winning the toss. “Hopefully I can put in another performance for the guys on Saturday”.
These days there’s a clear difference between England’s one-day squad and the Test team as the selectors hone in on specific skills.
Ben Stokes is in the squad after recovering from a calf injury, although he will play as a batsman.
“300 obviously, we always look to score 300, but definitely 280-290”, he said.
Earlier skipper Azhar top-scored in Pakistan’s innings but took 84 balls to reach his fifty before stepping on the gas to strike 82 off 110 deliveries.
He said, “I’ve said to the boys we’ve got absolutely nothing to lose”. Rose Bowl, which hosted its first major match in 2001, is actually the second ground in Southampton to stage worldwide games.
Pakistan, meanwhile, remain a work in progress at one-day level but their talent should never be underestimated.
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England (possible): J Roy, A Hales, J Root, E Morgan (c), B Stokes, J Buttler (wkt), M Ali, C Woakes, A Rashid, L Plunkett, M Wood.
