Pakistan has announced its 15-member team for the first Test match against England. Shan Masood will lead Pakistan in a three-match series against England, which begins on October 7 in Multan.
Aamer Jamal has been included in their 15-man squad after recovering from a back injury, but Khurram Shahzad, who claimed six wickets in the second Test against Bangladesh, has been ruled out due to injury. Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who did not play in the Bangladesh series, returns to the squad as a second spin option alongside Abrar Ahmed.
Masood’s position was called into question following Pakistan’s 2-0 home Test series defeat to Bangladesh earlier this month, but he remains in the role for the time being as Pakistan seeks to reverse a run of poor results in the longest format. Pakistan have lost their last five Test matches, all under Masood’s leadership, and have a 10-match winless streak at home.
One piece of good news for Pakistan is the return of fast-bowling allrounder Jamal, their most outstanding performer on the 2023-24 tour of Australia. Jamal has been dealing with lower back issues in recent months and did not participate in the series against Bangladesh.
However, this is not enough to fill up the gap in the fast bowling line of Pakistan that has been made by Khurram Shahzad’s absence. He suffered a side injury in the second Test against Bangladesh and was expected to be fit for the England series after a fracture was ruled out, but he has yet to fully recover.
Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali, who were in the squad for the Bangladesh series, have been pulled out of the team against England.
A PCB release stated that both “remain firmly in the selectors’ plans.” However, due to the selection policy’s emphasis on consistency and continuity, as well as the belief that 15 players are enough for a Test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams in the Champions One-Day Cup and President’s Cup, which begin on October 3, to ensure they remain match-ready through competitive cricket.”
The players chosen for the Pakistan Test squad have been pulled from the ongoing Champions Cup playoffs to allow them to rest before the England series. The squad will report in Multan on September 30th, with their pre-series training camp beginning on October 1.
Read More: England Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Timeline
Pakistan squad for 1st Test against England
Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub
