Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks get England call for Pakistan Test series

Two uncapped all-rounders have been tasked with supporting Jack Leach in Pakistan this December, with England turning to Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks for the historic three-Test tour amid a paucity of options in the spin department.

Continuity was one of the tenets of a buccaneering summer under the new leadership pairing of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum but the 15-man squad named for the tour – England’s first Test cricket in Pakistan for 17 years - features a number of changes beyond promotions for Livingstone and Jacks.

Alex Lees, who embodied much of England’s recent selectorial loyalty and batted to team orders, is dropped after 10 caps and an average of 23.8 and in come Keaton Jennings and Ben Duckett. The two left-handers, both previously capped at Test level, are now set to jostle for the vacant opener’s spot following commanding campaigns in the County Championship for Lancashire and Nottinghamshire respectively.

Stuart Broad will also remain at home on paternity leave, while Matt Potts, 20 wickets in his first five Tests, also misses the cut due to an apparent belief his skills are not yet suited to the subcontinent. Unlike Lees, who may cast an envious eye at the retained and contractually renewed Zak Crawley, the Durham right-armer won an increment deal this week and is clearly viewed as one for the future.

It sees just four frontline seamers in the party with Jimmy Anderson and Ollie Robinson offering guile and Mark Wood and Jamie Overton more pace. The quartet will all look to harness reverse swing where possible - something key to Australia’s 1-0 win in Pakistan this year on the pitches of Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi.

Just four seamers also suggests two-plus-Stokes in the final XI when the first