Stokes eyes Wood’s pace boost for England in 2nd Pakistan Test

Ben Stokes said the addition of Wood will give England bowling a good mix

England skipper Ben Stokes said Thursday that the express pace of fit-again Mark Wood would help counter dry and spin-friendly conditions in the second Test against Pakistan.

England is on a high after a thrilling 74-run victory in the first Test and will be looking to take that momentum into the match in Multan, which starts Friday.

A confident Stokes said the addition of Wood -- who replaces the injured Liam Livingstone -- will add some spice to the England bowling mix.

“Having someone in your squad who can bowl at 150 kilometres per hour is a massive bonus for any team around the world -- especially as Pakistan is a very hard place to come and win,” the England captain said.

“Someone of his calibre will add to our ability to take 20 wickets.”

This would be Wood’s first Test since March. He missed the first match in Rawalpindi with a hip injury.

Ollie Pope will continue as wicketkeeper in place of Ben Foakes, who missed the Rawalpindi match after coming down with a mystery virus that swept through the visiting squad.