England Opt for All-Seam Attack After Winning Toss Against Pakistan at Headingley

England captain Joe Root won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan at Headingley, with the hosts banking on an all-seam attack in slightly overcast conditions.

Root said the overhead conditions and a hint of moisture on the pitch influenced his decision to put Pakistan in. England have selected four specialist fast bowlers for the Test, with Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue forming the pace attack. Root and Dan Lawrence will provide the team's part-time spin options.

Pakistan will be led by stand-in captain Salman Agha after Babar Azam was ruled out with a finger injury. Babar suffered the injury in the Caribbean, before it was aggravated after he was struck by Manny Lumsden during Pakistan's preparations at Beckenham.

Agha said Pakistan would have preferred to bat first, but his side will now look to negotiate England's pace attack and make the most of the opportunity to put runs on the board.

Pakistan have also made several changes to their combination. Left-arm spinner Ali Usman has been included, while their fastest bowler, Ubaid Shah, misses out on the playing XI. Mohammad Abbas will lead the pace attack alongside Mohammad Ali and Khurram Shahzad.

Shan Masood returns to the top order after recovering from a hand injury, while Saud Shakeel is also back after overcoming recent fitness concerns.

The match comes at a difficult time for both sides. Pakistan have not won a Test series in England since 1996 and have lost 13 of their last 18 Tests. England, meanwhile, have won only two of their last 10 Tests and will be looking to use home conditions to regain momentum.

With cloud cover overhead and some moisture in the surface, England will hope their four-pronged pace attack can make early inroads into Pakistan's batting line-up. Pakistan, however, will be aiming to survive the opening spell and build a competitive first-innings total.

Playing XIs

England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (capt), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.

Pakistan: Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha (capt), Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas.