The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, set to take place later this month.
This announcement comes at a crucial time as the team prepares for the ICC World Test Championship fixtures.
The first PAK vs BAN Test is scheduled to be held at Rawalpindi from August 21 to 25, followed by the second Test in Karachi from August 30 to September 3.
Shan Masood has been appointed as the captain of the Test side. This marks a significant leadership role for Masood as he aims to guide the team through this important series.
Saud Shakeel has been named the vice-captain, taking over the role from fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi.
This decision comes as part of a strategic move by the selectors to manage Afridi’s workload, given the intense schedule ahead, which includes nine Tests, 14 T20Is, and at least 17 ODIs from August 2024 to April 2025.
The squad includes a mix of experienced players and emerging talents. Naseem Shah makes a comeback to the Test team after nearly a year, while Aamer Jamal, who performed well in the recent series against Australia, has also been included, pending fitness clearance.
Several players from the previous tour of Australia, including Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan, have not been included in the squad. Hasan Ali and Mohammad Wasim are also sidelined due to injuries.
The training camp for the national Test squad is set to commence on August 11 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, under the supervision of red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood.
The Bangladesh team is expected to arrive in Islamabad on August 17, and they will begin their training on the same day.
Pakistan squad for Bangladesh Tests:
Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), 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