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Zak Crawley speaking during a Pakistan vs England Pre-Series Press Conference:
Finger injury:
“Finger is all good. I am fit to start the series and recovered well from it, so I'm very happy. I've learned one thing, how much it means to play for England. So I can't wait to get out of there with the boys again.”
Last series against Pakistan:
“We loved it. We were talking about it today, just how much we enjoyed that series, how much we got around each other, and how we played. Against a good Pakistan team, we're going to have to be at our best again. And we're looking forward to that challenge.”
“We’ve just spoken about being brave as a team. Sometimes you're going to have to risk losing to win out here with the pitch. The pitch here is probably going to be a bit more batter-friendly. We did well last time and we're going to repeat that again this time.
The bowling attack of England:
“We’ve got a really versatile bowling attack, bit of pace and also some skill in there as well, and three spinners who are still
young. So, we've got a really good bowling attack and I'm looking forward to that challenge as well.”
Weather in Multan:
“It's going to be tricky for sure, but we're looking forward to that challenge. It is certainly hotter here than in England. We've been talking about this as a team for the last couple of weeks. So we've got all the things in place to counter that and it should be a good challenge. It's the same for both teams as well.”
Aggressive approach of England:
“We're not looking too far ahead, but we're always looking to be aggressive and put pressure on the other team like last time. That doesn't change for any of the opposition or any conditions. You just got to be versatile to what you come up against and certainly at first we're going to be able to put pressure on the opposition and then at times absorb it as well and be more defensive when the opposition is on top. So it's about reading the situation and we're always going to try and actually be quite aggressive.”
Reverse swing in Pakistan:
“It's with the amount of sweat you get so you can get the ball reversing. Obviously it's going to be hot weather for the bowlers as well. It's going to be a good test of character and skills. That's why it's so great to come and play cricket out here in this country.”
Role of spinners:
“They'll certainly play a part. Looking at this wicket and hearing what Shan Masood said in the media, I feel like it could be a bit greener and there will be seam movement this time as well. But the spinners are always going to play a part and they've got a big role to play for both teams.”
Batting line-up of Pakistan:
“I know as a batter myself that the form comes and goes but the class never leaves you and Pakistan has a class batting lineup. We don't underestimate them at all. There are guys in Pakistan team who can take the game away from us. We're going to have to be on our best to get them out and win this series.”
Bowling line-up of England:
“It would be great having Jimmy Anderson out here to pass on that knowledge but these guys have got a lot of knowledge and they've got a lot of skill and being young brings a certain energy and fire in the belly as well so they'll probably be playing off that as well. I'm sure they'll be absolutely ready to go and do well.”
Babar Azam’s from:
“I would never think of Babar Azam as out of form. The way he plays, he is a beautiful batter, a graceful player and he's a class act and we're going to have to be on our best to get him out.”
Atmosphere of Multan:
“I love being here for the last few days. It's obviously warm, but last time we came here, it wasn't that warm. So it's only the last few days, but we're very much ready for that, preparing ourselves for the hot weather and it doesn't bother us at all.”
“We love Multan. The people have been very welcoming. They've been so nice to us, looking after us at the hotel and here in the ground. So we're very thankful to everyone for hosting us.”
Uncertainty surrounds Ben Stokes' availability:
"We feel ready. Whatever team comes out, it will be a nice balance either way."
"We've got a really deep squad, with plenty of options with the ball and with the bat as well."
"He [Ben Stokes] 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."
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