Test encounters between Pakistan and England have often been defined by player-on-player showdowns which inject added drama into the already heated confrontation.Ahead of their three-match series starting Monday in Multan, AFP Sports looks at four key match-ups set to entertain:<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pakistan's pace spearhead was sidelined with a knee injury when England inflicted a 3-0 clean sweep in 2022. This time he has a chance to halt England's juggernauts led by opener Duckett.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The left-hander smashed a brilliant century on the Test's opening day two years ago as England amassed a first-day world record of 506-4 -- blazing a trail for Pakistan's first-ever home whitewash.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Duckett has proven capable of upsetting any bowler with his aggression straight out of the gate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n But Shaheen's lethal yorkers and swing with a new ball regularly put brakes on the scoring rate and secure wickets up front.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Watch out as the pair tussle for control.<\/p>\r\n\r\n - Babar Azam vs Rehan Ahmed -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Two years ago, Ahmed was just 18 when he became the youngest England bowler to take a five-wicket haul on debut against Pakistan in Karachi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Now matured, he is likely to face down Pakistan star batter Azam -- one of his victims back in 2022.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Ahmed's googly could prolong Azam's run drought, with Pakistani looking to rediscover his touch to counter the wiley spinner.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Azam quit his white-ball captaincy this week to focus on his role at the crease.<\/p>\r\n\r\n His showdown with Ahmed will be the first test of whether he can return to form.<\/p>\r\n\r\n - Joe Root vs Abrar Ahmed -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Root has a phenomenal record as England's top batter -- soon set to break former skipper Alistair Cook's career record of more than 12,000 Test runs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n But in the 2022 tour, it was spinner Abrar who dismissed Root in each innings of the second Test in Multan for low scores of 8 and 21.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Nonetheless, Root holds the record for most hundreds for England with 34, achieving half of them over the past four years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Pakistan will rely on Abrar for slow and turning wickets. A spin duel between the pair will be a clash to watch.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The Stokes-Shah showdown lit up the Twenty20 World Cup final in Melbourne in November 2022, with the batter surviving Shah's lethal spell and hitting a fighting half-century to secure England's triumph.<\/p>\r\n\r\n But barely a month later the rivalry was renewed in Rawalpindi stadium as Shah bowled Stokes for 41 on the day when England piled up its record haul.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Shah missed the next two Tests with a shoulder injury. But when the three-match series starts next week he will have more experience and better fitness -- although the contest could be delayed as Stokes races to overcome a hamstring niggle in time for the first Test.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\n- Shaheen Shah Afridi vs Ben Duckett -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\n- Ben Stokes vs Naseem Shah -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n