Saud Shakeel named Test vice-captain; Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Huraira among six domestic stars included in 17-player squad for PAK vs BAN series
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced a 17-member squad for the ICC World Test Championship matches against Bangladesh in preparation for the PAK v BAN series. The first Test is slated from August 21 to 25 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and the second test will take place in Karachi on August 30 through September. The Bangladesh cricket team will reach Islamabad on August 17 as they gear up for the series.
The Pakistan Test team squad will report to the bio-secure bubble here for its training camp at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on August 11 where sessions with red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie and Assistant Coach AzharMahmood throughout. The Bangladesh cricket team will be in the capital from tomorrow and is likely to have nets on the same day.
PAKISTAN SQUAD (ICC World Test Championship vs BANGLADESH)
Shan Masood (captain)
Saud Shakeel (vice-captain)
Subject to Fitness: Aamir Jamal
Abdullah Shafique
Abrar Ahmed
Babar Azam
Kamran Ghulam
Khurram Shahzad
Mir Hamza
Mohammad Ali
Mohammad Huraira
Wicketkeeper: Mohammad Rizwan
Naseem Shah
Saim Ayub
Salman Ali Agha
With: Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk)
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Joining 17-member squad being led by Shan Masood, Vice captain is Saud Shakeel This decision is made as part of a strategic workload management plan with Pakistan’s busy schedule in the upcoming almost 8-month period from August 21, 2024 to April 5, 2025 – where they will play nine Tests alongwith at least17 ODIs and T20I’ followed by World Cup-wining Abbas replacing him starting November.
13 of those players were part of the series against Australia; While Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Ali and opener Mohammad Huraira are new call-ups having impressed in domestic performances. The red-ball squad has, meanwhile, welcomed back Naseem Shah after 13 months of absence.
Kamran Ghulam notched up 1,025 runs in just 11 first-class matches last season also made superb scores of Bangladesh ‘A’ with the bat this month. Mohammad Ali has come back in the side having last played two Tests against England in 2022 and taken a total of 71 wickets across his previous domestic seasons. Mohammad Huraira hit a double-century against an N/A Bangladesh side last month and has been consistent in the domestic seasons lately.
The following players, meanwhile have been left out: Imad-Ul-HaqFaheem AishrafHasan Ali (injured)Mohammad NaWalN Mohammad Wasim Jnr.
Pakistan Shaheens squad (1st four-day match vs Bangladesh ‘A’, dates TBC)
Saud Shakeel (captain)
Kamran Ghulam
Mehran Mumtaz
Mir Hamza
Mohammad Ali
Mohammad Rameez Jnr
Mohammad Huraira
Naseem Shah
Saad Baig (wicket-keeper)
Saad Khan
Saim Ayub
Sameen Gul
Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk)
Umar Amin
Umar Gul is the head coach-cum-manager, Ghulam Ali will be responsible for batting coaching while Fahad Masood has been appointed as fielding coach of KP besides Dr. Imtiaz Khan (physiotherapist), Faisal Rai (analyst), Yasir Malik* (*trainer) Shafqat Shabbir and Malang Ali masseur).
Saud Shakeel will lead Pakistan Shaheens against Bangladesh ‘A’. The squad, which comprises a number of players from the Test team has been called for training and will report at Islamabad Club on Wednesday afternoon under head coach Umar Gul. During the four-day game, eight Test probables will take a flight for Jubaib at the end of day two and as many more are slated to return from Pakistan Shaheens.
The PCB is in coordination with the Bangladesh Cricket Board regarding this, and updates on rescheduling of PAK vs BAN series will be issued shortly.