India, Aug. 20 -- For Laura Wright, singing national anthems at sporting events has become a career in itself. But her latest assignment, at Headingley on Wednesday, posed a different kind of challenge: performing Pakistan's Qaumi Taranah in Urdu ahead of the start of Pakistan's Test series opener against England.

Wright had earlier sung the Indian national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, in Bengali ahead of each of the men's Tests against England in 2025 and before the first women's Test at Lord's last month. She described both the Indian and Pakistani anthems as a "real challenge" and said she only accepts such assignments when she is confident she has enough time to prepare and can do them justice.

"It's such an honour to be asked to sing an...