by England could be without Ben Stokes for next week’s opening Test in Pakistan, with Zak Crawley admitting the tourists are unsure whether the captain will be fit for the job.
Stokes tore his hamstring in August while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred and missed the three-match series against Sri Lanka, leaving Ollie Pope to take over as skipper.
He was hoping to make his return in the series opener on Monday in Multan, but is yet to get the nod.
Stokes was present for England’s first practice session but bowled only a handful of soft deliveries in a few strides and looked uncomfortable at times during his batting stint.
Asked if he would be willing to take over the reins, Crawley said: “I think he needs to do a few more tests, but he’s done a bit of racing and all that.
“He seems to be fine, he’s recovering well from his injury, (but) we don’t know yet. We feel ready, whichever team comes out, it will be a nice balance either way.
“We have a very strong team with lots of options with the ball and with the bat as well.”
If Stokes was confined to the balcony, where he watched all three matches against Sri Lanka as an observer, it could spare England a tricky team selection.
If he played as a specialist hitter, as he has done before while carrying problems, England would surely want a fifth bowling option and might be forced to drop one of the top six.
Crawley, however, was cleared to act after his own dismissal due to a broken finger.
He will take a temporary sabbatical after the slips, where he suffered a fracture against the West Indies at Edgbaston, but is otherwise fit and has been playing for just over a fortnight.
“I feel brand new. I can’t wait to go,” he said.
“I couldn’t pick up a bat for five weeks. I certainly missed it, so I can’t wait to go back with the boys.
“It was a bad break at the time but I recovered well and I don’t feel it at all while I’m hitting.
“I’m not going to do any sliding, just on doctor’s advice, but I have a feeling I might do it. I’m trying to rest him but I’ve done some catching up and it’s okay. I’m just trying to follow professional advice.
Crawley’s enforced downtime means he has not played a competitive innings since July 26 but, despite no warm-up matches ahead of the Test series, he feels more than ready to go.
“I always think about it like I’ve been preparing for it my whole life,” he said.
“It’s not like I need two weeks to prepare, because it’s something I’ve been doing since I was 12.” I’m always ready to play. This is exactly what I do.
Crawley has fond memories of his match against Pakistan, against which his average rose from his overall mark of 32.23 to 69.37. He was the first of England’s four centurions on a remarkable opening day of their previous tour of 2022, which saw them accumulate over 500 runs in just 75 overs.
“That’s my favorite thing about opening, you can create the tempo and set it for your innings,” he said.
“I love doing this. I’m proud of this shot, one of the favorite days of my career.
England noticed a green tint on the pitch during training on Friday and could consider a third seamer, bringing Brydon Carse into the frame for a possible start.
