The extent of England’s adaptation will be dictated by the varying conditions over the next month, and indeed over this first Rawalpindi Test match. England have noticed there has been dew for their morning training sessions, which will no doubt play a part early on given the 10am starts on match days, adding a bit of juice in the air and moisture into the pitch. Both of which bring Anderson to the front and centre of their plans.
England have also been concentrating on honing their reverse-swing skills in anticipation of what might lie ahead. The training camp in Abu Dhabi last week saw them experiment with an assortment of balls worn to varying degrees. Anderson had also been fine-tuning his technique with the Lions in Dubai since the start of November. Both he and Ben Stokes will be the main proponents of the craft this week, with Mark Wood out recovering from injury. However, Anderson doesn’t expect it will play too big a part in the first Test.
“Just looking at the pitch out here and the outfield, it looks quite lush so whether reverse will play a huge part here, I’m not sure, at this particular ground,” he said. “But we will try and cover all bases and make sure we’ve got options, if and when we need them.”
“Firstly, it’s amazing to be back here,” he said. “I want to say thank you on behalf of, not just myself, but the whole team for the welcome we’ve had. We know how many cricket fans there are in Pakistan and how much they love and support, not just Pakistani cricket, but cricket in general around the world. I’ve not played a Test match here so I’m delighted to have the chance to be able to play here.
As for who that first red-ball victim in Pakistan might be, Anderson claims he isn’t fussed, even if he recognises that one man in particular is likely to be a key adversary in the days ahead.
“We are well aware how important a wicket Babar is for Pakistan, being the captain, as well as I’d say their best player. Yes, we will give him attention, but also we need to focus on the other guys as well because they’re very strong.
“And I don’t care who it is, as long as I get a wicket and try and help the team towards a win. That’s what we’ve come here for – we want to win the series, so that’s our main focus.”
