England will look to put their latest drinking drama behind them when they face Pakistan in the second Test at Lord's starting on Thursday. The hosts are buoyant after captain Joe Root led them to an innings and 103-run thrashing of Pakistan at Headingley last week. However, Root spent much of the pre-match press conference addressing the latest alcohol-related controversy involving fast bowler Brydon Carse, who was dropped and is under investigation following an incident at a Derby nightclub.
This incident is part of a series of alcohol-fuelled controversies that have plagued England since their disastrous 2025/26 tour of New Zealand and Australia. Former captain Ben Stokes and paceman Gus Atkinson were also stood down earlier this year following a bar incident in London. Root expressed his frustration, stating, "It's not the isolated incident itself, it's the fact we continuously keep making stupid mistakes away from the game and it's detracting from what we are doing on the field."
Despite these off-field issues, England's performance at Headingley was professional, with seamers Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue taking eight wickets each. Pakistan, on the other hand, struggled in all departments, with inadequate batting, an unthreatening pace attack, and shoddy fielding. Pakistan captain Babar Azam may return from a finger injury, which could bolster their lineup. Azam has a strong record at Lord's, including a 68-run innings during a nine-wicket win over England in 2018.
Pakistan's bowling coach, Umar Gul, expressed optimism about Azam's return, stating, "We're hopeful he will be available for the game and today he was looking good; he batted well in the nets." Azam's potential return could see Azan Awais making way, with either Shan Masood or Abdullah Shafique moving up to open. Pakistan will need significant improvement to level the series, as Gul noted, "We'll have to learn from the mistakes we made in the previous game. If you want to win a Test match, you have to perform in all departments. One can't be carrying the other."
Root remains wary of Pakistan's capabilities, acknowledging, "We know the individual brilliance that lies within that team and what Pakistan are capable of collectively. We also know that whenever we play anyone at Lord's, they generally raise their game. This (England) group won't be taking anything for granted." With England having won just three of their last 11 Tests, both teams enter the match with much to prove.
