'Difficult for Pakistan to handle': Shoaib Akhtar warns Babar Azam-led side

Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has cautioned Babar Azam's side about the challenges they face when touring England, stating that the hosts will not offer the same assistance that helped Pakistan recover against the West Indies. Babar Azam's return as captain led to mixed results in Pakistan's first assignment, with a draw in the series against the West Indies.

Pakistan had won the opening Test of the series before securing an eight-wicket victory in the second match to level the series. Despite that comeback, Pakistan continues to struggle on away tours, reflected in their low ranking in the World Test Championship standings. Their position at the bottom of the WTC table after a defeat in the first Test against the West Indies was improved by a win in the subsequent match, allowing them to climb to eighth position.

Shoaib Akhtar believes that England will be well aware of Pakistan's vulnerabilities and may prepare conditions specifically to test their batters. He expects England to make full use of their home conditions, which have traditionally been difficult for visiting teams. Akhtar also noted that England won't make the same mistake West Indies did, which allowed Pakistan to get into a winning position.

The recent overseas record of Pakistan adds further significance to the upcoming series, with their last away Test victory coming against Sri Lanka in 2023 during Babar's first spell as captain. After stepping down from the leadership, Pakistan continued to face difficulties outside home conditions, losing 2-0 in the series against South Africa and 2-0 in South Africa.

The England tour provides another opportunity for Pakistan to address these concerns, but Shoaib Akhtar believes the challenge will be particularly demanding due to England's expected use of seam-friendly conditions to pressure the Pakistani batting.