Nasser Hussain has said that England's ability to adapt to the conditions in the United Arab Emirates will decide the outcome of their three-match Test series against Pakistan.
The Three Lions lost 3-0 on their last visit to the UAE as they struggled to play spin on turning pitches, which will continue to be a factor in the coming series.
Hussain believes that England will have to adapt their batting style from the attacking play that helped them regain the Ashes in the summer to become guarded at the crease.
He wrote in the Daily Mail: "The conditions are clearly the main factor in Pakistan's favour because you could not find any more alien to England anywhere in the world.
"This will be completely different cricket to what happened in the Ashes summer when everything was quick-fire with grass on the pitch and plenty of movement for the seam bowlers. We will have the polar opposite here, probably with turgid, attritional cricket but England must cope with that.
"The absolute key will be how England bat and, even though they must be more watchful, they must not retreat into their bunker as the class of 2012 did. Pakistan will love it if England block it and don't go anywhere."
England begin their series against Misbah ul-Haq's side later today.
Simon Sinclair
