Inzamam-ul-Huq will be a crucial player

The batting line-up will depend heavily on vice-captain Inzamam-ul-Huq and Saeed Anwar who both enjoyed great success on the last tour to England.

Inzamam, who made his Test debut against England in Birmingham in 1992, had scores of 148 and 70 at Lord's, two and 65 at Leeds and 35 at The Oval. Anwar got 362 runs in six innings, at an average of 60.33. Inzamam, who has made 4,962 runs in 72 Tests, also got 303 runs in five innings in last year's series in Pakistan.

Doubts over fitness

Support for Anwar comes from the recalled opener Mohammad Wasim after he spent 13 months in the wilderness.

He has played in 18 Tests since making his debut in 1996 against New Zealand, will be one of the three openers including Saeed Anwar and 19-year-old Imran Farhat.

The seaming pitches should test the technique of the middle-order batsmen which include Yousuf Youhana, who scored two centuries in England's last visit, Younis Khan and teenager Faisal Iqbal.

All three are stroke makers who average in the 40s but will have to adjust to the English conditions.

Recalled wicketkeeper

Apart from fitness doubts over Shoaib Akthar and Yousuf Youhana, Pakistan will hope all-rounders Abdur Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood can overcome niggling injuries.

In the absence of Moin Khan, wicket keeping duties will be taken over by Rashid Latif, back in the side after accusing his team-mates of match-fixing and betting.

Pakistan will play three county matches before the start of the first Test at Lord's on 17 May. The second Test will be played in Manchester from 31 May.

A limited overs tournament, which begins after the Test series, will feature Australia along with Pakistan and hosts England.