ABU DHABI: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq won the toss and has elected to bat first Tuesday in the first test against England at Played at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
The toss may have worked out in Pakistan’s favour, but came after enduring a huge blow as star legspinner Yasir Shah was ruled out with the back injury he suffered while bowling in the nets Monday.
Pakistan is left with just one spinner, Zulfiqar Babar, and goes into the match with three seamers - Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan and Rahat Ali.
England handed a debut to spinner Adil Rashid on a pitch that is expected to offer plenty for spin bowlers from day three onwards.
Pakistan has played seven test at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, winning four, including the last two by massive margins against Australia (356 runs) and New Zealand (248 runs), and drawing the other three. It has also won the only test match there against England by 72 runs in 2012.
Lineups:
• Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Asad Shafiq, Imran Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Rahat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Shan Masood, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, Younis Khan, Zulfiqar Babar
• England: Alastair Cook (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Joss Buttler (wk), Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood. --AP