England in UAE: Sky experts on who should open with Alastair Cook

England will announce their squad for the upcoming three-Test series against Pakistan on Tuesday, with one of the key decisions being who partners Alastair Cook at the top of the order.

Adam Lyth held that position during England's Ashes triumph but scored just 115 runs across the five Tests at an average of 12.77.

England's one-day opener, Alex Hales, has since been mooted for a call-up, while Durham's Mark Stoneman and Middlesex's Nick Compton - who played nine Tests in 2012 and 2013 - have also been mentioned.

But who do our pundits think should line up alongside Cook in the UAE? Nasser Hussain, David Lloyd and Sir Ian Botham have made their choices…

NASSER HUSSAIN'S PICK: Moeen Ali

"Hales had a great opportunity to stake his clam in the one-dayers against Australia but didn't take it, while I think Stoneman, who is a consistent performer without being a star performer, might need to do a little bit more. That means Moeen has a great chance. You could move him up to open and then get Adil Rashid, who must play, in as the second spinner. There are concerns with Moeen against the short ball looking ahead to South Africa when he should face the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel but you have to take every tour as it comes, so I would open with him in the UAE."

SIR IAN BOTHAM'S PICK: Alex Hales

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

"I wouldn't change the seamers or the middle order but England need someone to bat at the top of the order. Do you judge Hales on a one-day series, somewhere where if you get in a bit of a rut it is very hard to get out? I would go with him, tell him that he will open and help him relax. However, Lyth got his chance by scoring lots of runs so I wouldn't write him off."

DAVID LLOYD'S PICK: Adam Lyth

"I would definitely have Lyth in the side. People may say I'm being stubborn but the selectors decided that he was the opening batsman for the Ashes after he got lots of runs for Yorkshire and a hundred against New Zealand. I know he found it tough but if you go back to 2005 Ian Bell found it tough and had Shane Warne all over him like a cheap suit calling him 'The Shermanator'. Bell came through that and has gone on to play more than 100 Test matches. I think it will be calmer waters for Lyth in the UAE and I still believe he is the best of the potential openers coming through."

For more from our pundits, including whether James Taylor should be handed a call-up against Pakistan, watch the video above - and then make sure you head to Sky Sports News HQ and our digital platforms on Tuesday for first news of the England squad.

England's tour of the UAE is live on Sky Sports, starting with the opening Test, in Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday, October 13.