LONDON: England won the toss and decided to bat against Pakistan in the fourth and final Test match at The Oval on Thursday.
Pakistan are without Rahat Ali, who will sit out the Test over injury concerns. Fast bowler Wahab Riaz will replace him.
Pakistan also decided to drop opener Mohammad Hafeez, who had failed to perform with the bat so far in the series. Debutante Iftikhar Ahmed will play the first Test of his career today in his place.
Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq said after the toss that his side would have chosen to bat against England had they won the toss instead.
The pitch would help spinners later in the day, he said.
England are unchanged heading into the Test.
Pakistan have already lost two back-to-back Test matches against England at Old Trafford and Edgbaston while Pakistan drew first blood when they beat the hosts by 75 runs at Lords in the very first match of the series.
England beat Pakistan comprehensively in the last two Test matches, at Edgbaston by 143 runs and at Old Trafford by 330 runs
Pakistan have not won a Test series on the English soil since the past 20 years. Outside Asia, the last time Pakistan clinched a Test series was against New Zealand six years ago. According to Misbah-ul-Haq, if Pakistan are to level the series, then they must play extraordinary cricket.
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