Naseem is Back in The Test Squad, and Shakeel was Named Vice-captain for The Bangladesh Series

Pakistan has announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming two-Test home series against Bangladesh, marking their first Test series since the loss in Australia earlier this year. Fast bowler Naseem Shah returns to the squad after over a year. At the same time, Shan Masood remains the captain, and Saud Shakeel has been promoted to vice-captain. The team includes three new call-ups: Kamran Ghulam, fast bowler Mohammad Ali, and batter Mohammad Huraira, all recognized for their consistent performances in domestic cricket and for the Pakistan Shaheens during a recent tour of Australia.

Shakeel’s promotion to vice-captain is part of the selectors’ strategy to manage Shaheen Shah Afridi’s workload, as Pakistan faces a packed schedule with nine Tests, 14 T20Is, and at least 17 ODIs between late August and April next year. Aamer Jamal, who impressed during the Australia tour with 18 wickets and solid batting performances, has also been named in the squad, pending his fitness. Jamal had to cut short his county stint with Warwickshire due to a back injury but has since declared himself fully fit.

Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh features seven changes from their last Test assignment, signaling a significant shift in the team’s lineup. The most notable exclusion is Imam-ul-Haq, who had been a regular in Pakistan’s Test XI since early 2022 but was dropped during the final Test in Australia, where he was replaced by Saim Ayub. Allrounders Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz are also missing, solidifying Aamer Jamal’s role as the primary allrounder. Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan have been omitted, indicating Pakistan’s intent to rely on a pace-heavy attack, with only Abrar Ahmed included as a specialist spinner. Hasan Ali and Mohammad Wasim, who were part of the Australia tour, are out due to injuries.

Despite these changes, Pakistan will be buoyed by the return of Naseem Shah, who last played a Test over a year ago, taking six wickets in a dominant win in Colombo. A shoulder injury during the Asia Cup kept him out of the ODI World Cup and the Australia tour. Still, he has since returned to white-ball cricket. Pakistan’s new red-ball head coach, Jason Gillespie, will be eager to pair Naseem with Shaheen Afridi again. Kamran Ghulam, who has been on the fringes of Test selection, earns a spot after scoring 1025 runs in 11 first-class matches during the 2023-24 season and performing well against Bangladesh A last month. Mohammad Ali, returning to the squad for the first time since his debut against England in December 2022, is one of five specialist fast bowlers included.

Last season, Mohammad Ali took 47 wickets in 14 first-class matches. He continued his strong performance with Pakistan Shaheens, grabbing nine wickets, including 6 for 63 in the second innings of a game against Bangladesh A in Darwin last month.

Muhammad Hurraira, 22, is expected to open the batting with Abdullah Shafique, ahead of Saim Ayub, who debuted in Sydney. Hurraira has been in excellent form recently, highlighted by a double century against Bangladesh A for the Shaheens. With an impressive first-class average of 56.24, he has scored nearly 2000 runs over the past two seasons. Although he was part of the Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour in July 2023, he did not play in Pakistan’s 2-0 series win.

The Pakistan squad will begin a training camp in Rawalpindi on August 11 under the guidance of head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood. Bangladesh will arrive in Islamabad on August 17. The two-Test series, part of the World Test Championship, will be held from August 21 to 25 in Rawalpindi and from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi.

Squad and Revised Dates for the Pakistan Shaheen Series

The selectors have also announced the Pakistan Shaheens squad for the first four-day game against Bangladesh A. However, the dates for this match have been revised.

Due to political unrest in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had to delay their A team’s departure for Pakistan by 48 hours. On Wednesday afternoon, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a statement regarding this change:

“The Bangladesh ‘A’ men’s cricket team will arrive in Islamabad on Saturday, August 10, for two four-day and three 50-over matches against Pakistan Shaheens. The matches will be played at the Islamabad Club.”

The series was initially set to start on August 10 but has now been rescheduled. The first four-day match will begin on August 13, the second on August 20, and the one-day matches will take place on August 26, 28, and 30.

Saud Shakeel will captain the Pakistan A team for this series. The squad includes Naseem Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Saim Ayub, and Sarfaraz Ahmed. The Shaheens will start training on Wednesday under head coach Umar Gul, with support from Jason Gillespie and Azhar Mahmood before they join the national team’s camp.

After the first four-day game, the eight Test squad members will join the central Test team. The selectors will then announce replacements for the remaining matches in the Shaheens squad.

Katarzyna Nowak

Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for IPLWin365 (IPL365 News), she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.