Former England seamer Stuart Broad has delivered a blunt assessment of Pakistan’s Test side, dismissing them as weak and predicting a clean sweep for England in the upcoming three-match series.
Speaking on the For The Love Of Cricket podcast, Broad acknowledged individual quality within the Pakistan squad but was dismissive of the side as a whole. “Yes, they’ve still got Babar Azam. They’ve got Mohammad Abbas, who’s come back into the side, who’s 36. But they’re a poor side. They’re not really a good side,” he said.
He went further, predicting an emphatic result despite England’s own inconsistent recent form. “You would imagine and you would think that England should win 3-0 and pretty comfortably,” Broad added.
His comments single out Mohammad Abbas, whose record in English conditions carries weight. The seamer has taken more than 300 County Championship wickets across spells with Leicestershire, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and his control and seam movement remain one of Pakistan’s clearest threats on English pitches.
Pakistan’s build-up to the opening Test at Headingley has already been disrupted. Newly reinstated captain Babar Azam was ruled out after being struck on the hand during a warm-up match against a PCC Select XI at Beckenham.
Pakistan coach Sarfaraz Ahmed confirmed Azam would miss the game because of the injury, which stems from an earlier blow he took in the Caribbean.
Broad’s prediction comes despite England’s own struggles. The hosts have lost seven of their last nine Tests and have not won a series since December 2024. They are also handing the crucial number three role to Jordan Cox, who has played just one Test, after Jacob Bethell was ruled out with a knee injury.
Pakistan, meanwhile, carry recent history into the contest. They won the 2024 home series against England 2-1 and beat them 3-0 on Pakistani soil back in 2022. They arrive at Headingley on the back of a series-levelling Test win in the Caribbean, though the absence of Azam, whose runs and leadership were central to that victory, leaves a clear gap to fill.
With Broad’s prediction now facing an early test, play has already got underway at Headingley.
England won the toss and elected to field first, and their decision paid off instantly. Debutant Azan Awais was trapped lbw off the very first ball of the match, leaving Pakistan reeling at 0 for 1. Rain later interrupted proceedings, with Pakistan stumbling to 23 for 2 after 9.4 overs when the players were taken off.
