Fast bowler Naseem Shah has made a comeback to the Pakistan Test squad after a gap of 13 months. Saud Shakeel has been appointed as the vice-captain of the 17-member squad for the upcoming two home Tests against Bangladesh. In addition, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali, and Muhammad Hurraira have been included in the squad as a reward for their consistent performances in domestic cricket.
Shan Masood will lead the team with Shakeel serving as the deputy to Shaheen Shah Afridi. The selectors have made this decision strategically to manage the workload of Pakistan’s lead fast bowler during the upcoming series of matches from August 21, 2024, to April 5, 2025. A PCB release mentioned that Aamer Jamal’s inclusion is subject to fitness.
Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan have been left out from the squad that toured Australia earlier this year, while Hasan Ali and Mohammad Wasim are sidelined due to injuries.
The Pakistan squad will undergo training in Rawalpindi starting from August 11 under the guidance of head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood. The Test matches against Bangladesh are scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi from August 21-25 and in Karachi from August 30-September 3 as part of the World Test Championship.
The selectors have also announced a Pakistan Shaheen squad for the first four-day game against Bangladesh A, with Shakeel leading the side. Training for the Shaheens will begin under the supervision of head coach Umar Gul. Once the four-day game is completed, selected players will join the main Test squad, and replacements will be named for the remaining matches.
Due to political unrest in Bangladesh, the departure of the A team was initially delayed by 48 hours. The BCB and PCB are working on finalizing the revised schedule for the Pakistan Shaheens versus Bangladesh ‘A’ series.
The Pakistan Test squad for the Bangladesh series includes Shan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel (vice-capt), Aamer Jamal (subject to fitness), and other players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah.
The Pakistan Shaheen squad for the first game against Bangladesh A features Saud Shakeel (capt), Kamran Ghulam, and other promising players like Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, and Sarfaraz Ahmed.
