England's stand-in captain Ollie Pope has no doubt that Chris Woakes will expertly spearhead their pace attack in the three-test series in Pakistan beginning in Multan on Monday.

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.

More sporting pitches were prepared for August's series against Bangladesh but the strategy backfired for Pakistan. They lost the first Test by ten wickets, having declared the opening innings of the match at 448-6, and the Tigers recovered from 26-6 in reply to 274, to seal a 2-0 series win in Rawalpindi.

Last year, Chris Woakes defied convention: "My away record speaks for itself," he said, while conceding that his overseas Test career was probably over. With 36 wickets at 51.88 in 20 away Tests, he had a point.

Pakistan has been a historically difficult place to tour, with the slow low-bounce pitches yielding few opportunities to take wickets. In fact, no foreign side before Ben Stokes ’ England had won a Test series by a margin exceeding two Tests.

Pakistan vice-captain Saud Shakeel echoed his coach Jason Gillespie's comments about Pakistan's game plan, saying his side were looking to use England's aggressive tactics against them in their three-Test series.