The first step that everyone noticed was that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has declared a 17-member squad for the two Test matches against Bangladesh that will begin shortly. This array includes quite a few changes from their Australia tour squad.
The two major changes are the elevation of Saud Shakeel as the vice-captain of the side and the replacement of Shaheen Afridi, the premier fast bowler of the side. Selectors have recommended to Afridi that he be scheduled over the coming months for nine Tests, fourteen T20Is, and at least seventeen ODIs before April early next year.
The new-look squad has the exclusion of several players, including Imam-ul-Haq in the opening, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz Noman Ali and Sakib Jaffar’s Sajid Khan. However, the team has included pacers Naseem Shah and Mohammad Ali, who have been quite out of the test team.
Openers Mohammad Huraira and Kamran Ghulam, who have joined the squad for the first time, may get their first Test cap.
Among the seventeen players, 13 played in the recently concluded Pakistan tour of Australia, while Huraira, Ghulam, Ali and Naseem are novices for the two matches against Bangladesh.
It is planned to start in Rawalpindi on August 21, and the second test will take place in Karachi on August 30.
The visitor is currently in fifth place in the ICC World Test Championship table and would be looking to perhaps improve their standing against Bangladesh.
Pakistan Squad: Shan Masood (Captain), Saud Shakil (Vice Captain) , Aamir Jamal (If fit), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz
