Babar and Shaheen as well as Naseem have been rested for the remainder of the Test series against England
Pakistan have opted to rest key players Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Sarfaraz Ahmed for the remaining two Test matches against England, scheduled in Multan and Rawalpindi.
Spinner Abrar Ahmed will also miss out due to dengue.
In their place, Pakistan have called up uncapped players Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam, along with fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan.
Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were initially part of the first Test squad but were later released, have also been included in the revised 16-player squad.
Pakistan squad for 2nd and 3rd Tests:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Shan Masood (Captain) |
| Saud Shakeel (VC) |
| Aamer Jamal |
| Abdullah Shafique |
| Haseebullah (WK) |
| Kamran Ghulam |
| Mehran Mumtaz |
| Mir Hamza |
| Mohammad Ali |
| Mohammad Huraira |
| Mohammad Rizwan (WK) |
| Noman Ali |
| Saim Ayub |
| Sajid Khan |
| Salman Ali Agha |
| Zahid Mehmood |
The decision to overhaul the playing squad comes in the wake of Pakistan’s innings defeat in the opening Test, which also prompted changes in the selection panel.
Aleem Dar, Aaqib Javed, and Azhar Ali have joined Asad Shafiq, Hasan Cheema, along with the head coach and captain in the revised selection team.
“Selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors,” Aaqib Javed explained.
“We’ve had to carefully assess current player form, the need to bounce back in the series, and Pakistan’s busy international schedule for 2024-25.
With these considerations and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and the players, we decided to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
“We believe this break will allow these players to recover their fitness, confidence, and composure, ensuring they return in prime condition for future challenges.
They are some of our most talented players, and we remain committed to supporting them during this period so they can come back even stronger.
“Simultaneously, we’re providing opportunities to uncapped players like Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam, as well as Mohammad Ali, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Zahid Mehmood.
This is a chance for them to prove themselves against a strong England side, and we are confident they will rise to the challenge in the remaining two Tests.”
The second Test of the series will take place in Multan, starting October 15.
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