England captain Ben Stokes is a doubt for the first Test against Pakistan in Multan as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
Stokes, 33, has been out since the beginning of August, missing the 2-1 series victory over Sri Lanka.
England trained in Multan for the first time on Friday. All-rounder Stokes batted in the nets and bowled a handful of deliveries off a few paces.
He indicated last week he is unlikely to bowl at the beginning of this three-match series, which gets under way on Monday.
Opener Zak Crawley told BBC Sport: “He seems to be going well, recovering well from his injury.
“We don’t know just yet. I think he’s got to do a few more tests, but he’s been doing some running and stuff.”
If Stokes is fit to play, but not bowl, England will have a decision on how to balance their side.
Against Sri Lanka they played five specialist bowlers, which would mean leaving out one of their regular top order.
To avoid dropping a batter, or even leaving out wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and handing the gloves to Ollie Pope, England could play four specialist bowlers and lean on Joe Root’s off-spin.
Curiously, balancing the side might be easier if Stokes is ruled out completely. Pope would continue to deputise as skipper, Smith could remain at six, leaving space for the five bowlers, which seems particularly necessary in temperatures of around 36 degrees.
Crawley said the Multan pitch currently has a “green tinge”, so England may feel the need for three seamers and two spinners.
