Shoaib Akhtar warns Pakistan of seam-friendly pitches in England

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has warned Babar Azam's side that England will prepare seam-friendly pitches for the three-Test series starting August 19 at Headingley. Akhtar told a local sports platform that the hosts will not repeat the mistake West Indies made by allowing Pakistan to get into winning positions during their recent 1-1 series draw. Pakistan enter the series after their first away Test win since July 2023. Babar Azam returned to the ICC Test batting top 10 after scoring 88 and 24 not out in the drawn series against West Indies, moving five places to tenth position. The second Test begins at Lord's on August 27, while the third starts at Edgbaston on September 9. Pakistan are currently ninth in the World Test Championship standings after the West Indies series.