MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — England has aimed to challenge struggling Pakistan with a new-look pace attack in the opening test of a three-match series, starting in the searing heat of Multan on Monday.

Fast bowler Brydon Carse will make his test debut with Gus Atkinson set to play his first overseas test after his impressive home season against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

All-rounder Chris Woakes was penciled in the eleven after Ben Stokes was ruled out for the fourth successive test match due to ongoing rehabilitation on his injured hamstring. Woakes will be playing his first match after two-and-a-half years and it will be his first test in Asia since 2016.

Carse’s pace gave him the edge ahead of Olly Stone and Matthew Potts for the tour of Pakistan and England hopes the Durham pace bowler will challenge the batters by regularly clocking over 90mph.

England will be led by Ollie Pope, who won 2-1 at home against Sri Lanka in the absence of Stokes, who sustained his hamstring injury during the Hundred and might return to lead the side in the second test, also in Multan.

“I was kind of just learning on the job,” Pope said. “Obviously my first time captain abroad. Ben’s going to be around as well… so I can listen to the voices around me but still keep doing things in my way.”

England flattened Pakistan 3-0 through its high-risk, high-reward ‘Bazball’ approach during the 2022 tour when it played at Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi.

They were scheduled to play at the same venues this time around, but renovation work going on at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi for next year’s Champions Trophy forced the Pakistan Cricket Board to organize back-to-back tests at Multan with Rawalpindi set to host the third test from Oct. 24.

England also named spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir in the playing XI in anticipation of the pitch flattening out under temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius which are expected over the next week in Multan. Leach was the second highest wicket-taker in the last series in Pakistan with 15 wickets.

“Everyone’s so happy to have Leach in and around the squad for this series,” Pope said.“We obviously saw how well he bowled last time here on pitches that always offering a great deal … and he’s worked closely with Shoaib Bashir throughout his Somerset career and those guys go really well.”