Pakistan name squad for West Indies Test with seven changes

LAHORE: Pakistan on Saturday named 15-member squad for the upcoming Tests against West Indies set to take place from next week. 

The matches, which are a part of the ICC World Test Championship, are scheduled to take place in Multan from January 17-21 and January 25-29.

The squad features seven changes from the 15-member Test team that toured South Africa.

The retained players are Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan, Noman Ali, and Salman Ali Agha.

To strengthen the spin department, off-spinner Sajid Khan and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed have been recalled to partner with left-arm spinner Noman Ali.

Moreover, openers Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Huraira have also been brought back, replacing the injured Saim Ayub and the out-of-form Abdullah Shafique.

As part of workload management, the pace quartet of Aamir Jamal, Mohammad Abbas, Mir Hamza, and Naseem Shah has been rested. In their place, the selectors have retained Khurram Shahzad, recalled Mohammad Ali and included uncapped Kashif Ali.

In the absence of wicketkeeper-batter Haseebullah, who sustained a split in his right-hand webbing during the Cape Town Test, former Pakistan U19 and Shaheens captain Rohail Nazir has been added to the squad.

Pakistan squad:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper/batter), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper/batter), Sajid Khan, and Salman Ali Agha.