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.
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