Ben Stokes is expected to come back into England's side for the second Test against Pakistan, with the all-rounder returning to his peak fitness. (More Cricket News)
England c🤪aptain Stokes has been out since the start of August with a hamstring injury but was seen in the nets bowling at full pace ahead of the next Test, which starts on Tuesday in Multan.
Former team-mate and bowling coach James Anderson says Stokes 🅘is firing on all cylinders as he prepares to return.
"He looks great. He has worked really hard on his fitness and looking as st💮rong as I've ever seen him," Anderso🦋n, England's all-time leading wicket-taker, said to BBC Sport on Sunday.
"He's had a 🤡good bowl in the nets and looks good to💞 go."
Anderson acknowledged that managing Stokes' workload could work favourably for England, who will expect spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashar, asౠ well as part-time option Joe Root, to do most of the bowling.
"When we're talking about Ben's workloads and his bowling, it might play into our handꦍs with that💫, with the spinners potentially playing more of a part," Anderson added.
England did not miss Stokes in the fiജrst Test, battling 🅠to victory by an innings and 47 runs despite conceding 556 to Pakistan in the first innings last week.
Joe Root's stunning 262, coupled with Harry Brook's remarkable 317, led the fightback before left-armer Leach took 4-3🍸0 from just 6.5 overs in Pakistan's final-innings collapse.
Questions remain whether the same pitch will b🐈e employed in Multan, where cracks were already showing, instead of a new surface.
"Going off the last game, we did see it go up anꦺd down, mainly down, towards t♛he back end," Anderson continued.
"The cracks started opening up. I'm no groundsman, but I don't think you can make cracks go back to🍸gethe♔r that easily, certainly in three days.
"You'd expect it to do something off the🍸 cracks and with it being dry and hot again, you'd expect the spinners to play more of a part.
"We don't know what we’re going to get. It could beꦏ another pitch, or they have repaired this one really well and it's flat again.&꧒quot;
