The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship matches against Bangladesh. The matches are set to take place from August 21-25 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi.
The Pakistan Test squad will begin their training camp on August 11 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. This camp will be under the guidance of head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood. The Bangladesh team is expected to arrive in Islamabad in the early hours of August 17 and will commence their training that same afternoon.
Leading the Pakistan side will be Shan Masood, with Saud Shakeel named as the vice-captain. The squad includes:
1. Shan Masood (captain)
2. Saud Shakeel (vice-captain)
3. Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness)
4. Abdullah Shafique
5. Abrar Ahmed
6. Babar Azam
7. Kamran Ghulam
8. Khurram Shahzad
9. Mir Hamza
10. Mohammad Ali
11. Mohammad Huraira
12. Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper)
13. Naseem Shah
14. Saim Ayub
15. Salman Ali Agha
16. Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper)
17. Shaheen Shah Afridi
The PCB highlighted that Saud Shakeel’s appointment as vice-captain is part of a strategy to manage the workload of lead fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, ensuring his optimal performance during a demanding schedule that includes nine Tests, 14 T20Is, and at least 17 ODIs between August 2024 and April 2025.
The selectors retained 13 players from the last series against Australia in December/January 2023-24. New inclusions include Mohammad Huraira, Kamran Ghulam, and Mohammad Ali, all of whom have been rewarded for their consistent performances in domestic cricket and with Pakistan Shaheens. Naseem Shah returns to the red-ball format after a 13-month hiatus.
Kamran Ghulam has shown exceptional form, scoring 1,025 runs in 11 first-class matches during the 2023-24 season, and recently notching up 148 runs in three innings against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin, including an unbeaten century. Fast bowler Mohammad Ali has been recalled after last playing against England in 2022. He took 24 wickets in six first-class matches during the 2022-23 season and followed that with 47 wickets in 14 matches in the 2023-24 season. Huraira, who impressed with a double-century against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin, has had standout seasons in first-class cricket, scoring over 1,000 runs in the 2022-23 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and nearly matching that feat in the 2023-24 season.
Several players from the previous squad, including Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali (injured), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (injured), Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan, were unable to retain their places for this series.
Imam managed only 57 runs in two Tests against Sri Lanka and 94 runs in the Perth and Melbourne Tests. Faheem took one wicket in Perth, Sajid claimed three wickets in Sydney, while Nawaz and Noman did not play any Tests in recent series.
This series will be crucial for Pakistan as they look to solidify their standing in the ICC World Test Championship.
