Pak Squad for Bangladesh Tests Announced, Saud Shakeel Named New Vice Captain

Lahore (by Mahmood Sherazi)

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s men’s national selection committee today announced a 17-member Pakistan squad for the ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh. The first Test will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 21-25 August, while the second Test will be held from 30 August-3 September in Karachi.

The Pakistan Test side’s training camp will commence at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 11 August and will be supervised by red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood. The Bangladesh cricket team is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad in the wee hours of 17 August and expected to train in the same afternoon.

PAKISTAN SQUAD (ICC World Test Championship vs Bangladesh)

o Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi

The 17-member Test squad will be led by Shan Masood, while left-handed middle-order batter Saud Shakeel has been appointed as vice-captain. Saud takes over from Shaheen Shah Afridi as part of the selectors’ strategic decision that is aimed at managing Pakistan’s lead fast bowler’s workload management during the period from 21 August 2024 to 5 April 2025 in which Pakistan is scheduled to play nine Tests, 14 T20Is and, at least, 17 ODIs.

Of the 17 players picked for the first Test series of the 2024-25 season, 13 players were involved in Pakistan’s last series against Australia in December/January 2023-24. Mohammad Huraira, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali have been rewarded for their consistent performances in the domestic circuit as well as for Pakistan Shaheens, while Naseem Shah is returning to the red-ball side after 13 months.

Kamran Ghulam aggregated 1,025 runs in 11 first-class matches in the 2023-24 season and then had scored 148 runs in three innings against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin last month, including 100 not out in the first match. He was part of the squad for the home series against New Zealand in December/January 2022-23 but didn’t 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. In the two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin, Ali took nine wickets, including six for 63 in the second innings of the second match.

Huraira stroked a sparkling double-century against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin last month. He also had stellar last couple of first-class seasons. In the 2022-23 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Huraira was the only batter to break the 1,000-run barrier, aggregating 1,024 runs in 11 matches for Northern. In the 2023-24 first-class season, the 22-year-old right-hander scored 961 runs in 14 matches for the Faisalabad Region and Higher Education Commission (HEC). He was part of the squad for the tour to Sri Lanka in July 2023 but didn’t feature in the series, which Pakistan won by 2-0.

Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali (injured), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (injured), Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were the players who failed to retain their places in the Test side.

Imam managed 57 runs in two Tests against Sri Lanka and then scored 94 runs in the Perth and Melbourne Tests, Faheem took one wicket in the Perth Test, Sajid claimed three wickets in the Sydney Test, while Nawaz and Noman didn’t play in any of the Tests.

PAKISTAN SHAHEENS SQUAD (for 1st four-day match, vs Bangladesh ‘A’, dates TBC)

o 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 (wicket-keeper) and Umar Amin

o Player support personnel – Umar Gul (head coach-cum-manager), Ghulam Ali (batting coach), Fahad Masood (fielding coach), Dr Imtiaz Khan (physiotherapist), Faisal Rai (analyst), Yasir Malik (trainer), Shafqat Shabbir (media and digital manager) and Malang Ali (masseur)

Saud Shakeel will captain Pakistan Shaheens in the first match against Bangladesh ‘A’. The squad will also include Test team members Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub and Sarfaraz Ahmed.

For the four-day match, Pakistan Shaheens will commence their training session on Wednesday afternoon at the Islamabad Club under head coach Umar Gul. Jason Gillespie and Azhar Mahmood will assist Umar Gul before shifting their attention to the national side’s camp on 11 August.

Following the four-day match, the eight Test probables will join the national side and the selectors will announce their replacements in the Pakistan Shaheens squad for the remaining matches against Bangladesh ‘A’.

The PCB has been in contact with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and it is expected that the revised schedule of the Pakistan Shaheens versus Bangladesh ‘A’ series will be announced shortly.