Only 5 England players attended optional training on the eve of the Test.
England's Test team is currently in Pakistan for a three-match series that begins on December 1. After 17 years, the English cricket team will play a Test series in Pakistan. However, there are clouds of uncertainty hovering over the entire series, with many threats looming over the game. While 14 England players are said to be ill, a bomb blast on Tuesday also caused concern in the English camp.
On the eve of the Test, only five players showed up for the optional training session. While the rest of the squad was recuperating due to illness, former captain Joe Root, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Keaton Jennings, and Ollie Pope trained, with Root addressing a press conference following training at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.
The remaining players stayed at the team hotel. England players, in particular, arrived in Pakistan earlier this month.
According to the Press Trust of India, team spokesman Danny Reuben did not comment on the nature of the ailments or provide an exact number of affected England players.
However, in a statement, he said that the ill players "have been instructed to stay at the hotel to rest up."
Due to Stokes' absence, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was forced to postpone the series trophy unveiling by a day, and the ceremony will now take place on Thursday, ahead of the toss for the first Test.
England has already revealed its playing XI for the first game of the three-match series, with all-rounder Liam Livingstone poised to make his Test debut and opener Ben Duckett joining Zak Crawley.
England are scheduled to play three Tests in Rawalpindi, Multan, and Karachi.
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