Root rejects ‘disrespectul’ Pakistan comments ahead of third Test
Root rejects 'disrespectul' Pakistan comments ahead of third Test. England could rotate their bowling attack at Edgbaston having already sealed a series victory over Pakistan; watch the third Test between England and Pakistan, at Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports from Wednesday, September 9 Tuesday 8 September 2026 06:34, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Nasser Hussain and Dinesh Karthik assess how England's new-look bowling attack could fare against tougher opposition As a Test summer during which English cricket appeared to be in crisis nears its end, Joe Root's side go into their final fixture against Pakistan with the only major talking point being whether the bowling attack will be rotated.
What happened
Joe Root hit back at the idea Pakistan have showed "no fight" in their Test series against England and described the notion as "disrespectful" to both outfits. Skip to content Analysis England vs Pakistan: Should hosts rotate bowling attack by resting likes of Jofra Archer in third Test at Edgbaston? Barring the discovery of any more England off-field issues before the start of the third Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday, it's Pakistan making all the noise after sacking their head coach and replacing seven members of their touring squad following defeats at Headingley and Lord's.
England romp to Test series victory over PakistanStream England cricket and more without a contractListen to episodes of the Sky Sports Cricket PodcastWith a series victory sealed, England could choose to give some of their cross-format players a rest ahead of upcoming white-ball contests with Sri Lanka. Watch day one of England's third Test against Pakistan, from Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am on Wednesday September 9 (first ball 11am).
England vs Pakistan – results and scheduleAll games live on Sky SportsFirst Test (Headingley) – England won by innings and 103 runsSecond Test (Lord's) – England won by 194 runsThird Test (Edgbaston) – September 9-13 Around Sky Upgrade to get all of Sky Sports, including 1500 live football games Not got Sky? If the third Test were to go all five days, the first of three T20 internationals would start just two days later, before three 50-over matches follow later in September.
The wider picture
Ahead of England revealing their final Test XI of the summer, Sky Sports assess whether the incumbents should be rested, and the merits of those who could replace them. The incumbents Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Jofra Archer dismissed Babar Azam for six with a vicious rising delivery as Pakistan slipped to 14-3 in their chase of 389 at Lord's Jofra Archer – England's star bowler has had a very encouraging summer fitness wise, performing at a consistently high level in the four out of five Tests he's played in.
With that in mind, there is a strong argument that of the three quicks also playing white-ball cricket, Atkinson should be given another opportunity to fill his boots against a fragile Pakistan batting line-up before returning to Test action against South Africa in December. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Take a look as Josh Tongue dismissed Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam on day two of England's second Test against Pakistan Josh Tongue – The Nottinghamshire quick is the only member of England's bowling attack to have played all five Tests this summer.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Shoaib Bashir takes the wicket of Rachin Ravindra on day four of the third Test between England and New Zealand Shoaib Bashir – England's lead spinner doesn't turn 23 until October, but has already been through quite a bit during his international career. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Harry Brook caught Mohammad Ali off the bowling of Josh Tongue to complete England's 194-run victory over Pakistan at Lord's and seal a series win with a game to spare Perhaps the biggest positive to come out of the series so far has been the performance of England's new-look pace attack, made up of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue.
Given Archer only returned to Test cricket last summer after more than four years out of the longest form of the game, England would be wise to take every opportunity to maintain the 31-year-old's freshness. "While it's good to hear him say such things, there is no doubt that a fit Archer walks straight into any England XI, so the focus should be on ensuring that's the condition he remains in ahead of next summer's home Ashes.
What has been reported
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Gus Atkinson took the final wicket when England defeated New Zealand in the first Test at Lords Gus Atkinson – The Surrey quick has also played four out of five Tests so far this summer, with his only absence coming when he was made unavailable for selection for the second Test against New Zealand after being involved in an incident at a nightclub, alongside former skipper Ben Stokes.
Atkinson hasn't bowled badly by any means against Pakistan, but has had little reward, claiming just one of the 38 Pakistan wickets that have fallen across the two games. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Ollie Robinson trapped Azan Awais lbw for six before bowling Abdullah Shafique for a duck three balls later as Pakistan slipped to 7-2 in their chase of 389 at Lord's Ollie Robinson – The star of the series, Robinson has taken 16 Pakistan wickets at a remarkable average of just 7.
The same old injury issues appeared to have halted the momentum he built with a fine first Test performance against New Zealand in June, with knee soreness ruling him out of the next game before he was overlooked for the series finale. The contenders Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player A delighted Sonny Baker took his first Test wicket against New Zealand during Day One of the Second Test at The Oval Sonny Baker – Perhaps the most exciting member of England's fast bowling ranks at the age of just 23, Baker only got called up to the squad for the second Test at Lord's because of Carse's off-field antics.
Baker had a challenging debut when England were in crisis for the second Test against New Zealand, managing match figures of just 3-161 in the defeat at The Oval. Given the selectors can never be sure when injuries might hit and Baker could be needed, allowing him the opportunity to get more Test experience and build his confident in this fixture could be a smart move. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player A delighted Sam Cook took his first-ever Test wicket against Zimbabwe during day two of their one-off test against England Sam Cook – Similarly to Baker, Cook has just one Test appearance to his name – that didn't go very well.
What happens next
Fast-tracked into the side by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum in 2024, Bashir was being prepared for England's trip to Australia last winter, but then surprisingly didn't feature in any of the five Tests. That saga looked as though it may put his Test career on hold, but Bashir was selected again this summer and played in two Tests against New Zealand. A spinner is often deemed necessary at Edgbaston, but with spin not necessarily a key factor for England's big upcoming Test series in South Africa this winter and at home to Australia next summer, assessing the pace options may be seen as a priority.
Latest Sky Sports deals or stream contract-free with NOW. Brydon Carse remains absent from England's 15-player group at Edgbaston after the fast bowler was briefly arrested following an incident outside a Derby nightclub in August. Fellow quick Matthew Fisher has been dropped, but the rest of the group were all part of the squad at Lord's last time out. Three of the four are also part of both England's T20 and ODI squads to face Sri Lanka, with only Robinson not currently part of the white-ball setup.