England must change to end sorry spin cycle

After a record-breaking victory in the opening Test in Pakistan, England lost the next two. As they prepare to visit New Zealand next month, RORY DOLLARD looks at the key questions facing the side.

Should they have expected to beat Pakistan?

On paper, there were plenty of reasons to fancy the tourists. They won 3-0 in their previous visit in 2022 and their opponents had not won a home Test for more than three-and-a-half years, including five defeats in a row under new captain Shan Masood. An innings win in the opener at Multan continued those trends but it took some extreme measures to turn the tide. Pakistan took drastic action to prepare spinning pitches, reusing the same surface for the second Test - an unprecedented move - and then aggressively manipulating the usually benign surface at Rawalpindi to repeat the trick for the decider. In those circumstances, England's prospects were always diminished.

Was Pakistan's pitch work fair?

It is unheard of for one pitch to host back-to-back Tests within a handful of days and the use of industrial fans, patio heaters and rakes hinted at desperation.