17-member Pakistan squad announced for Bangladesh Tests

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced a 17-member Green Shirts' squad for the upcoming two Test matches against Bangladesh which are set to take place in Rawalpindi and Karachi. 

The first match, which is scheduled to be played from August 21 to 25, will be held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium while the second Test match will take place from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi.

According to a statement issued by the cricket body, the training camp will begin on August 11 at the Pindi Stadium with red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood as the supervisors. 

The Bangladesh cricket team is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad in the wee hours of August 17 and expected to train in the same afternoon.

The Test squad will be led by Shan Masood while left-handed middle-order batter Saud Shakeel has been appointed as vice-captain.

He took over 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 August 21, 2024, to April 5, 2025, in which Pakistan are 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.

Pakistan squad

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