England vs Pakistan 2nd Test: 5 difficult decisions the teams have to make ahead of the game
Pakistan made a welcome return to international cricket in the 1st Test against England, and started brilliantly to leave the hosts staring at defeat two days into the game.
However, Joe Root's side roared back spectacularly to bowl Pakistan out for 169 runs in their second innings and chase the 277-run target with 3 wickets to spare, on the back of a career-saving innings from Jos Buttler and a magnificent knock from Man of the Match Chris Woakes.
The visitors and their captain Azhar Ali have come under severe criticism since the defeat, with this pattern of Pakistan collapses all too familiar to fans. But despite their loss in the 1st Test, the team has a stellar record in England and can really fight back in this series.
Ahead of the 2nd Test, we take a look at 5 difficult decisions that Pakistan and England have to make for this game.
#5 Do Pakistan persist with Shadab Khan?
With Pakistan opting to play two spinners in the 1st Test, Shadab Khan was given the nod to partner Yasir Shah in a leg-spin dominated attack. The youngster did impress with both bat and ball, but his numbers in the Test match - 45 runs in the first innings and 2 wickets - don't make for great reading.
Captain Azhar Ali opted to bring on Shadab very late in both innings, almost as if he expected the leggie to clean up the tail. Shadab is a far better bowler than that, and really should have been utilised more. Ali also claimed after the game that his team needs a fast-bowling all-rounder at No. 7, casting a doubt over Shadab's place in the XI.
Shoaib Akhtar hit out at Shadab's performance on his YouTube channel as well, and stated that the 21-year-old hadn't done enough to be persisted with in the 2nd Test. With Pakistan not really having a fast-bowling all-rounder, he might have to be persisted with and if he is, he must be given more responsibilities.
Fawad Alam is also waiting in the wings, and he could be given an opportunity in an attempt to solidify the batting order.