Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar has warned the Pakistan team of challenging conditions in the upcoming three-match Test series against England.
Pakistan will play the series opener at Headingley on 19 August, followed by the second Test at Lord’s on 27 August.
The third and final Test will be played at Edgbaston from 9 September.
Speaking during a sports program, Akhtar recalled Pakistan’s 1996 tour of England, the last time they won a series in the country.
Pakistan secured a 2-0 victory over the Three Lions during the 1996 tour, thanks to the bowling heroics of Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis, both collecting 17 and 16 wickets, respectively.
Saeed Anwar also played a pivotal role with the bat, amassing 362 runs at an average of 60.33 in the series.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
Akhtar said the conditions would be challenging for Pakistan while hoping Edgbaston would provide some relief for the visitors.
“Headingley is likely to offer tricky and seaming conditions, while Lord’s will also provide assistance to seamers. There could be some relief for Pakistan at Edgbaston,” he said.
“I don’t think this tour will be easy for Pakistan,” he added.
The former pacer also said England would not repeat the West Indies’ mistake of allowing Pakistan to make a comeback.
“England won’t make the same mistake West Indies did that allowed Pakistan to get back into a winning position. What they will do, they’ll prepare seam-friendly conditions, which will be very difficult for Pakistan to handle,” Akhtar warned.
Pakistan squad for England Tests
Babar Azam (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.
England-Pakistan Test series schedule
1st Test: August 19–23, 2026 — Headingley, Leeds
2nd Test: August 27–31, 2026 — Lord’s, London
3rd Test: September 9–13, 2026 — Edgbaston, Birmingham
READ: Duan Jansen named in South Africa squad for Namibia tour
