Though Foakes is now fully fit after recovering from last week’s bug, Stokes played it coy on Wednesday when asked if his return to the side was a formality.
“We’ll have to consider all our different options,” Stokes said. “I think there are a few different options we are going to lay out in front of each other, and try and understand what is the best option to try and win this Test match. Because we have got a few other factors that we have to contend with.
“That’s the great thing about where we’re at at the moment. We found ourselves in that situation [illness in the first Test] and we still managed to pick a team that was strong enough to win a game. As I said, we are going to have a conversation at some point about what we feel is the best route to go.”
Wood returned to England to recover from that injury at home but, after missing the Test squad’s training camp in Abu Dhabi, he was deemed unavailable for selection for the first Test given how little he had bowled up to that point. He also felt unwell ahead of the Test though his illness was unrelated to the virus affecting the rest of the group.
Wood offers a point of difference with his extreme pace, showcased during the World Cup where he bowled the most deliveries (31) above 150kph (93mph) and registered the fastest delivery of the tournament at 154.74kph (96.2mph). Stokes confirmed his county team-mate was fit and raring to go and welcomed the extra zip he would bring, especially when it comes to the short-ball tactic England deployed so effectively in the first Test.
“I mean it is definitely an added bonus,” he said of Wood’s availability. “It’s a lot better having someone bowling 150kph bouncers rather than me, Robbo [Ollie Robinson] and Jimmy [Anderson] at 80mph trying to do it. I think wherever you go in the world, conditions, whatever it is, having someone at Woody’s pace is an absolute bonus. Whether he’s bowling short or full, at that pace it’s always going to be difficult to face. It’s great to have him fit and recovering from his injuries and he’s definitely put his name into the hat for selection.”
Should Pope remain as wicketkeeper, Wood could come in as Livingstone’s direct replacement. However, if Foakes is restored to the XI, there is a chance Jacks would have to make way for Wood, a harsh fate given that he claimed 6 for 161 with his offspin in the first innings on debut.
Further complications for England’s preparations could come from the local conditions, with heavy winter smog expected to delay the 10am start time, as well as create potential health issues for the players. Videos from the ground sent to the team show visibility at less than 10 yards between 9am and 9.30am before eventually clearing at around 11am. England’s flight into Multan from Islamabad on Tuesday was delayed by three-and-a-half hours as a consequence.
Multan’s air quality index was rated as “unhealthy” on Wednesday, with a level of micro-particles 11.6 times higher than the guideline set by the World Health Organisation. Local advice is to wear masks outside and avoid outdoor exercise, which will become a problem from Thursday onwards, when England train for the first time at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
The ECB medical staff on the tour, led by medical director Dr Nick Peirce and team doctor Anita Biswas, will take a view on conditions at the venue on Thursday. In the meantime, the combination of late start times and premature finishes, due to early sunsets, are occupying Stokes’ thoughts regarding the make-up of his side. The aim, as ever, is to force a win regardless of circumstances beyond their control.
“It’s pretty obvious with the morning situation that we find ourselves in here, we’re going to have to play that [selection] by ear. Yesterday [Tuesday] at 9:30am, we couldn’t even see the ground [from videos sent to them]. So we probably have to take that into consideration if we feel like that is going to be the case for every day in the Test match. That’s probably going to have to be a later decision, and we’re going to have to think about some decisions.
“We’ll have a sit-down discussion and we’ll find a way to pick a team which we find is best to win the game, with those two things: the start time potentially delayed and coming off early because of the light.”
“We could end up having only 300-350 overs in the Test match. We might have to get even a bit more adventurous with what we do. We’ll see.”
Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
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