Pakistan play England in a three-Test series starting Monday in Multan with the visitors favourites to inflict more damage on a team mired in a painful losing streak.

England's 3-0 whitewash on their last trip to Pakistan in 2022 was the first clean sweep by any visiting team to the country, and plunged the hosts into a slump that has left them winless in their last 10 home Tests.

The visitors will be buoyed by memories of that famous win, but begin the series without talismanic leader Ben Stokes, who will miss the first Test due to a hamstring injury.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood, however, warned on the eve of Monday's first Test that his side would still be facing a formidable England, despite the absence of their captain Stokes.

"We all know the quality of Ben Stokes," said Masood on Sunday ahead of the start of the three-Test series. "He is one of the top all-rounders of the world."

"England's strength will not lessen with one individual (missing)," he warned. "They are still very competitive.

"If you look at their playing eleven then it's very balanced with all-rounders, and they have two spinners and three fast bowlers with deep batting, so their loss is that of an individual."

Pakistan, meanwhile, are known for their unpredictability and will be desperate to wipe away the humiliation of a shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of low-ranked Bangladesh last month.

Pakistan cricket is flailing in all formats, with a revolving door of bosses and allegations of nepotism crushing the development of the nation's most popular sport.

Superstar batter Babar Azam relinquished the white-ball captaincy this week, saying he wanted to focus on his batting after a run-drought of 16 Test innings without a half-century.

The three Tests in Multan and Rawalpindi scheduled to wrap up on October 28 will be the first trial of the 29-year-old's renewed commitment to his craft.

Ollie Pope will again lead England after deputising successfully in the recent 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka.

"They've obviously not had their strongest run recently, but we still see them as a highly skilled side," said Pope. "They are a team we don't take lightly."

Pakistan named their team with a bowling attack of two fast bowlers in Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, medium-pacer Aamer Jamal, and frontline spinner Abrar Ahmed.

An impressive Jamal took 18 wickets against Australia in three Tests in his debut series earlier this year, but missed the Bangladesh series with a back problem.

"With Jamal we get an edge in the seam department," said Masood.

While England sit in third place in the ICC Test rankings, five spots above Pakistan, they travel to South Asia with an inexperienced pace attack following the retirement of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

With James Anderson and Stuart Broad retired, Mark Wood injured and Ollie Robinson not selected, none of England's pace bowlers from the 2022 series remain.

But Masood cited Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse as threats.

"You cannot under estimate anyone and need to be more cautious against any unknown player," said Masood.