Shaheen Afridi’s absence – a big loss to the home team for the Test series between Pakistan and England!!

Shaheen Afridi, is phased out of the series because of a knee injury, but McCullum said Pakistan still has plenty of talented players.

“He’s (Afridi) a big loss, no doubt,” McCullum said. “But one thing when you play against Pakistan, you look at their team sheet, and you see talent. It’s a very good Pakistan squad, it’s well-rounded, it’s got some experience and some youth, with both batting and bowling, and they’ll be a tough challenge. We know we’ll have to play well if we’re going to be successful.”

Pakistan has plenty of surprises up in its sleeves, especially in the bowling department, as it has named uncapped fast bowlers Haris Rauf, Mohammad Ali, and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed in its 18-man squad for the test series.