Cook: England face ‘tricky tour’ in UAE
Alastair Cook and his England Test team have touched down in the UAE ahead of the Test series against Pakistan, with the Three Lions skipper saying he is expecting a 'tricky tour'.
The last time England played Test cricket in the UAE, they were whitewashed three-nil by Pakistan in 2012 and Cook knows they face another tough test of their abilities in the longest format of the game.
Like the Tests in the Middle East three years ago, Pakistan will attack the visitors with an assortment of spin bowlers but Cook says his team will take some valuable lessons from the 2012 series even though he is one of only four survivors from that England side.
Cook said: "It's definitely going to be a tricky tour with their history in terms of how strong Pakistan are and their record in the UAE.
"I think they've played six or seven series and haven't lost a series. That shows what is in front of us. The great thing is in Test cricket is trying to win away from home. It's getting harder and harder.
"You do learn lessons but it happened quite a few years ago. And this is a very different side. Only four of us are going back.
"I think also that the pitches have changed a little. The matches seem to be a lot higher scoring than they were in 2012."
The first of three Tests between England and Pakistan starts on 13 October in Abu Dhabi.
Latest
-
NewsEngland hopeful Ollie Robinson stars as Sussex defeat Glamorgan by eight wickets
The visitors passed their target of 154 to win thanks to unbeaten half-centuries from Aaron Thomason and Tom Clark.
-
NewsOllie Pope hits 245 as Surrey take upper-hand over Leicestershire on day three
England batsmen Ollie Pope and Joe Root hit red-ball centuries for their county.
-
NewsMohammad Abbas hat-trick puts Hampshire in command against Middlesex
Lancashire’s Matt Parkinson produced a ball of the century contender against Northamptonshire.
-
NewsShubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj earn first BCCI contracts
Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, have suffered contract demotions.
-
NewsDom Sibley injury adds to England’s worries with Ben Stokes facing 12 weeks out
Stokes was injured playing in the IPL while Sibley was in County Championship action with Warwickshire.
-
NewsCan England cope without talisman Ben Stokes against New Zealand this summer?
All-rounder Stokes faces up to 12 weeks out with a fractured finger.
-
NewsBen Stokes ruled out for up to three months with broken finger
The England all-rounder will have surgery on the injury picked up playing in the Indian Premier League.
-
NewsScott Borthwick hits century as Durham get better of Essex at Chelmsford
Essex fell apart on the opening day of their County Championship clash with Durham.
-
NewsBabar Azam wants to top rankings in Test cricket as well
Currently sixth on the Test batting rankings, Babar Azam hopes to change that as soon as possible.
-
NewsCricket Australia announces contracted women’s players for 2021-22
Australia Women will host India and England this summer before heading to New Zealand for the ICC World Cup in March, 2022.