The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled the 17-member squad for the men’s national team ahead of their Test series against Bangladesh. The squad announcement came on Wednesday, as preparations intensify for the upcoming matches.
The first Test is slated to take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from August 21 to 25, followed by the second Test in Karachi from August 30 to September 3. The squad will begin their training camp on August 11 at the Pindi stadium, under the guidance of red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood.
Bangladesh’s cricket team is expected to land in Islamabad early on August 17, with plans to commence their training session later that afternoon.
Leading the squad as captain is Shan Masood, with Saud Shakeel stepping into the role of vice-captain. This leadership change sees Saud Shakeel replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi, a strategic move by the selectors to manage Afridi’s workload as Pakistan navigates a busy schedule from August 21, 2024, to April 5, 2025. During this period, the team is set to play nine Tests, 14 T20Is, and at least 17 ODIs.
Among the 17 selected players, 13 were part of the team in the last series against Australia in December and January of the 2023-24 season. New inclusions like Mohammad Huraira, Kamran Ghulam, and Mohammad Ali have earned their spots due to their impressive performances in domestic cricket and for Pakistan Shaheens. Naseem Shah makes a return to the red-ball format after a 13-month hiatus.
Here is the Pakistan Test squad:
- Shan Masood (captain)
- Saud Shakeel (vice-captain)
- Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness)
- Abdullah Shafique
- Abrar Ahmed
- Babar Azam
- Kamran Ghulam
- Khurram Shahzad
- Mir Hamza
- Mohammad Ali
- Mohammad Huraira
- Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper)
- Naseem Shah
- Saim Ayub
- Salman Ali Agha
- Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper)
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
