Naseem Shah has been included in Pakistan’s Test squad for the series against Bangladesh
Pakistan has included fast bowler Naseem Shah in a 17-man squad for the two-Test series against Bangladesh set to begin later this month.
This selection marks a return to the longest format for the 21-year-old, who last played a Test 13 months ago in Sri Lanka.
Naseem’s recall after his recent injury troubles is one of two key decisions made by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s national selectors, who have also named Saud Shakeel as vice-captain.
Shakeel’s promotion to a leadership role, taking over from Shaheen Afridi, is part of the selectors’ strategic decision to manage the lead left-arm pacer’s workload in the coming calendar year, during which Pakistan will play nine Tests, 14 T20Is, and at least 17 ODIs.
Pakistan squad for Bangladesh Tests:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Shan Masood (Captain) |
| Saud Shakeel (Vice-Captain) |
| Aamer Jamal (Subject To Fitness) |
| Abdullah Shafique |
| Abrar Ahmed |
| Babar Azam |
| Kamran Ghulam |
| Khurram Shahzad |
| Mir Hamza |
| Mohammad Ali |
| Mohammad Huraira |
| Mohammad Rizwan (WK) |
| Naseem Shah |
| Saim Ayub |
| Salman Ali Agha |
| Sarfaraz Ahmed (WK) |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi |
The inclusion of Aamer Jamal, one of the standout performers during Pakistan’s Test tour of Australia earlier this year, is contingent upon the fast bowler proving his fitness.
Thirteen members of the squad from that tour have retained their places.
Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan are among those who did not make the cut from the previous assignment.
Instead, the selectors have decided to call up batter Kamran Ghulam, fast bowler Mohammad Ali, and batter Mohammad Hurraira as a reward for their performances in domestic cricket.
Ghulam scored 1,025 runs in 11 first-class matches during the 2023-24 season.
He was part of the squad for the home series against New Zealand in 2022-23 but did not feature in the drawn two-match series.
Fast bowler Mohammad Ali has been recalled after last featuring in the opening two Tests against England in 2022.
He took 24 wickets in six first-class matches in the 2022-23 season, followed by 47 wickets in 14 first-class matches in the 2023-24 season.
Huraira, who hit a double-century against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin last month, has been in stellar form on the domestic circuit.
In the 2022-23 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, he was the only batter to breach the 1,000-run mark.
The 22-year-old followed that up by scoring 961 runs in the 2023-24 first-class season.
He was picked for last year’s tour of Sri Lanka but did not feature in the XI.
Pakistan’s Test squad will assemble in Rawalpindi for a training camp under head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood ahead of the series.
The two Tests, part of the World Test Championship, will be played in Rawalpindi (from August 21) and in Karachi (from August 30).
Leave a Reply