England Test skipper Ben Stokes comes with an interesting gesture as England is touring an Asian nation for the Test series after 17 years. Pakistan is hosting England for a three-match test series of the World Test Championship beginning on Tuesday. Babar Azam-led Pakistan will take on the Three Lions in the series opener on November 29, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Stokes tweeted on Monday, November 28, that he will donate his entire match fees from the upcoming Test series to the flood victims in Pakistan. The 20-20 World Cup winner also shared a long note to show solidarity with flood victims on the microblogging site.
“It is great to be in Pakistan for the first time for this historic series. To be back here after 17 years as a Test side is very exciting. There is a sense of responsibility amongst the playing and support group and to be here is special. The floods that devastated Pakistan earlier this year was very sad to see and has had significant impact on the country and the people,” Stokes said.
“The game has given me a lot in my life and I feel it’s only right to give something back that goes far beyond cricket. I will be donating my match fees from this Test series to the Pakistan Flood appeal. Hopefully, this donation can go towards the rebuilding of areas of Pakistan most affected by the flooding,” Stokes added.
After winning the ICC World 20-20 World Cup which took place in Australia, the England side decided to spend a week in Abu Dhabi before arriving in Pakistan on November 26th for the three-match Test series.
Test Squads:
England: Ben Stokes (captain), James Anderson, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Keaton Jennings, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain & wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Zahid Mahmood.
