Pakistan vs. England, 1st Test: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

Pakistan return to the United Arab Emirates for the first time in 2015 when they take on England in a three-Test series, with the opening match getting under way on Tuesday.

The two teams last met in the format in 2012. Pakistan proved far too strong for their opponents on that occasion, securing a 3-0 series sweep.

Back then, England had travelled fresh off becoming the top-ranked side in Test cricket. Now, they visit Pakistan's home from home off the back of an Ashes triumph.

However, conditions will be vastly different to the ones they experienced against Australia on home soil during the summer. The tourists can expect to face a trial by spin in sweltering temperatures.

Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Time: 10 a.m. local (7 a.m. BST, 2 a.m. ET)

Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Live Stream and TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), PTV (Pakistan), SuperSport (South Africa), Ten Sports (Bangladesh), NowTV (UK Streaming Service)

Weather: According to AccuWeather.com, there will be no delays for rain during the Test. It is scheduled to be hot for all five days, with temperatures around 35-36 degrees Celsius.

Overview

England and Pakistan, respectively ranked third and fourth by the International Cricket Council, both have question marks over their top-order batting heading into an intriguing series.

For Pakistan, their issue isn't form, but fitness.

ODI captain Azhar Ali has been ruled out of the opening game due to a foot injury he picked up on the limited-overs tour to Zimbabwe in September.

Team manager Intikhab Alam said, via Umar Farooq of ESPN Cricinfo: "He [Ali] will not be playing in the first Test. His wound is almost dried up, but he is not comfortable wearing his shoe and didn't take part in training activities since we are here."

The loss of the right-hander, who averages 44.06 in Test action and has hit nine centuries, is a blow.

According to Farooq, Mohammad Hafeez is most likely to take over at three.

However, Shoaib Malik and Fawad Alam are other options in the squad. Neither batsman has played Test cricket in a while—Malik's last appearance came in 2010, while Alam won the last of his three caps in 2009.

ISHARA S.KODIKARA/Getty Images

England, meanwhile, will try yet another opening partner alongside captain Alastair Cook.

Adam Lyth was jettisoned following a disappointing Ashes campaign (he averaged 12.77), so the tourists have a simple choice to make.

Alex Hales was selected for the trip after a fine domestic summer for Nottinghamshire. He has yet to make his Test debut but has appeared for England in Twenty20 and ODI cricket.

He is not the only option, though. England could push Moeen Ali all the way up from eight to go out with his skipper to face the new ball.

Head coach Trevor Bayliss hinted that the left-handed Moeen will get the nod, saying after the final warm-up match against Pakistan A, via Chris Stocks of the Guardian: "I think at this stage Mo has probably got his nose in front."

By selecting the all-rounder to open, England get the chance to squeeze in an extra bowler.

With the surfaces in Abu Dhabi usually favouring spin and the sun set to bake the pitch throughout the contest, it is likely that an extra spinner will be slotted into the vacant spot down the order.

With his right-arm off-breaks, Moeen was the solitary slow bowler used for the series against Australia.

England will pick someone else in the team to turn the ball in the opposite direction to Moeen, with that being either uncapped leg-spinner Adil Rashid or left-armer Samit Patel, who was drafted into the touring party once Zafar Ansari was ruled out through injury.

James Anderson missed the final two Tests of the Ashes summer, but England's leading Test wicket-taker will be drafted back into the side.

The decision over who to drop for Anderson has been made easier by Steven Finn being ruled out of the first Test with a foot injury, according to Sky Sports.

As for Pakistan's seam attack, Wahab Riaz could earn a Test recall. He was forced to fly home early from the tour of Sri Lanka in June due to a fractured knuckle but made his international comeback in limited-overs action against Zimbabwe last month.

Key Players

Pakistan

A.M. Ahad/Associated Press

The last time England faced Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, they were bowled out for 72 when chasing a meagre victory target of 145.

The slow-bowling combination of Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman claimed nine of the 10 wickets to fall in the final innings. Neither are still around, but Pakistan now have another spinner to torment opponents.

Yasir Shah is a leggie who has taken 61 wickets in 10 Tests. He took 24 of them during the three-match series at Sri Lanka—who are fed on a strong diet of slow bowling—earlier this year.

Former England spinner Vic Marks wrote in the Guardian: "In many ways, Shah is an old-fashioned, classical bowler. His method has never been a source of scrutiny for the university boffins and their measuring devices, which try to confirm what is or is not legal in the 21st century."

However, Shah's participation in the series opener is in doubt due to a back spasm suffered during Pakistan's final practice session, according to ESPN Cricinfo.

England

Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Moeen Ali was something of a luxury player for England during the Ashes summer on home turf.

He made valuable contributions with both bat and ball but was never leaned on to contribute heavily in either discipline.

Now, however, he will be front and centre in England's bid to win abroad. His abilities with the bat will come under greater scrutiny if, as expected, he is shunted up to open.

His bowling is also going to be crucial, as he will be expected to pose an attacking threat rather than just perform as a fill-in to rest the seamers.

Despite having played only 16 Tests, he will also be the senior spinner, no matter whether it is Patel or Rashid who gets the chance to play.

Squads

Pakistan

Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Mohammad Hafeez, Fawad Alam, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, Rahat Ali, Junaid Khan 

England

Alastair Cook (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Samit Patel, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Mark Wood.