The Pakistan Cricket Board’s selection committee has unveiled a 17-member squad for the ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh. The first Test is scheduled to take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from August 21-25, followed by the second Test from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi.
A training camp for the Pakistan Test side will commence at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on August 11, under the supervision of red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood. The Bangladesh cricket team is expected to arrive in Islamabad in the early hours of August 17 and will train later that afternoon.
Pakistan 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
Shan Masood will lead the squad, with Saud Shakeel appointed as vice-captain. This decision marks a strategic move by the selectors to manage the workload of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s leading fast bowler, during a busy period that includes nine Tests, 14 T20Is, and at least 17 ODIs from August 21, 2024, to April 5, 2025.
Of the 17 players selected, 13 were part of the team that played against Australia in December-January 2023-24. Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali, and Mohammad Huraira have earned their spots based on their domestic performances and for Pakistan Shaheens. Naseem Shah returns to the Test side after a 13-month hiatus.
Ghulam’s recent domestic performance includes 1,025 runs in 11 first-class matches in the 2023-24 season and a century against Bangladesh ‘A’. Mohammad Ali, recalled after missing out since 2022, took 47 wickets in 14 first-class matches last season. Huraira scored a double-century against Bangladesh ‘A’ and amassed over 2,000 runs in the last two first-class seasons.
Players who did not retain their places include Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali (injured), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (injured), Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan. Their performances in recent matches were not sufficient to secure their spots for this series.
