Brendon McCullum last week said it would be helpful to know whether the Tests are to be played in Pakistan, or other options such as United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka, as that would dictate selection.
The trip is supposed to get under way on October 7 in Multan with further Tests planned in Karachi (October 15-19) and Rawalpindi (October 24-28), but renovations ahead of next year's Champions Trophy are causing problems at the latter two venues.
However, on Tuesday, England named a 17-strong party that included uncapped fast bowler Brydon Carse.
The South Africa-born 29-year-old has this season served a three-month ban for historical breaches of betting rules but seems the main beneficiary of a year-ending elbow injury to Durham team-mate and fellow speedster Mark Wood.
Jordan Cox, who served as back-up batter for the recent 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka, is the other uncapped player in the party.
Dan Lawrence was a makeshift opener against Sri Lanka in the injury-enforced absence of Zak Crawley but he failed to make an impression with a top-score of 35 in six innings and he has been discarded.
Crawley is included and said to be "making significant progress in his recovery" from a fractured right finger.
England captain Ben Stokes remains on course to take the reins back from Ollie Pope following a hamstring tear that kept him out of action against Sri Lanka.
Left-arm fast bowler Josh Hull, a debutant in the defeat to Sri Lanka at The Oval, has been retained. Chris Woakes, who has not played an overseas Test since March 2022, and fellow seamer Olly Stone also keep their places.
There is no room for slow left-armer Tom Hartley, England's leading wicket-taker in their Test tour of India last winter, with Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir the frontline slow bowling options.
Leach and Ahmed played when England won 3-0 in Pakistan in 2022 while Bashir has emerged to become England's first-choice spinner.
ENGLAND SQUAD (to play three Tests v Pakistan): Ben Stokes (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
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