RAWALPINDI: England captain Ben Stokes believes the series-deciding third Test against Pakistan starting Thursday will boil down to a spin battle on a Rawalpindi pitch likely to favor slow bowlers.
England piled up 823-7 to thrash Pakistan by an innings on a lifeless Multan pitch in the first Test, before the hosts bounced back with a 152-run win on a recycled and turning Multan track.
For the deciding match, Pakistan have kept the same combination of three frontline spinners in Sajid Khan, Noman Ali and Zahid Mahmood, with just one fast bowler in Aamer Jamal.
Pakistan have used industrial fans and heaters to dry the Rawalpindi pitch, hoping to replicate their spin-led success in Multan which ended a drought of home wins stretching back to 2021.
Stokes said his three spinners in Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir and the recalled Rehan Ahmed were equal to the challenge.
“I’ll be backing the three spinners that we’ve picked,” Stokes told reporters after a training session on the eve of the third and final Test.
“We don’t know exactly how the wicket will play, but we’ve taken as much information from it as we can.
“We think the longer the game goes, the more spin will come into play.”
Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie, the former Australia fast bowler, also expects the near-bald pitch “to favor the slower bowlers.”
The toss could be crucial, with both teams looking to bat first and maximize the impact of their spinners on a deteriorating pitch.
Pakistan have performed poorly in all formats in the past year, losing 2-0 in a home Test series to Bangladesh and crashing out of the ODI and Twenty20 World Cups in the first rounds.
A series victory over England would mark a stark change in fortunes.
“Over the last few years Pakistan’s Test cricket hasn’t been where we’d like it to be, so any win is a positive,” he said.
Ben Stokes forecasts spin battle in Pakistan-England decider
https://arab.news/47mke
Ben Stokes forecasts spin battle in Pakistan-England decider
- England captain says the longer the game goes, the more spin will come into play
- Pakistan won the second Test in Multan by 152 runs by relying on spin bowlers
Pakistan says eyeing billions in investments through crypto projects in coming years
- Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority Chairman attends Abu Dhabi Bitcoin Conference 2025
- Says Pakistan considers Bitcoin, digital assets “a fundamental pillar of the future financial system“
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority Chairman Bilal bin Saqib said this week that Islamabad is eyeing billions in investment through digital assets initiatives and cryptocurrency projects in the coming years, state media reported.
Analysts have said Pakistan’s attempts to tap into the country’s growing crypto market, crack down on money laundering and terror financing, and promote responsible innovation could bring an estimated $25 billion in virtual assets into the tax net.
Pakistan has attempted to bring virtual asset service providers (VASPs) under a formal licensing regime in recent months. PVARA this month also granted no objection certificates (NOCs) to global crypto exchanges Binance and HTX.
Speaking during an interview at the Abu Dhabi Bitcoin Conference 2025, Saqib said Pakistan is reforming the unregulated crypto market to transform it into a “transparent and investor-friendly system in line with global standards,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday.
“He said that interim licenses, mining, tokenization and fintech pilot projects have been launched for major exchanges in Pakistan and billions of dollars are expected to be invested in these projects in the next few years,” Radio Pakistan said in its report.
The PVARA chairman said Pakistan has become the “center of attention” globally due to the significant progress it has achieved in crypto regulation.
Saqib said Islamabad considers Bitcoin and digital assets not only an investment but “a fundamental pillar of the future financial system.”
“He said that Pakistan’s goal is to make youth not consumers but digital creators and architects of the new economy,” Radio Pakistan said.
Pakistan’s move to formalize digital asset regulation comes amid broader economic reforms under an International Monetary Fund program, with authorities under pressure to strengthen financial controls, improve transparency and manage risks linked to emerging technologies.
While officials have framed the crypto framework as regulation-first rather than promotion-led, analysts say its implementation, particularly enforcement and coordination with the central bank, will be closely watched by international lenders and investors.
