Naseem Shah back in Test Squad

Fast bowler Naseem Shah has made a comeback to the Pakistan Test squad after more than a year away. The selectors announced a 17-member squad for the two-Test home series against Bangladesh. These matches mark Pakistan’s first Tests since their series loss in Australia at the start of the year and feature four changes from that touring squad.

Leadership Changes and New Vice-Captain

Shan Masood continues as captain, with Saud Shakeel promoted to vice-captain for the Tests. The selectors have called up Kamran Ghulam, fast bowler Mohammad Ali, and batter Muhammad Hurraira following their consistent domestic performances and contributions to the Pakistan Shaheens side on a recent tour of Australia.

Strategic Decisions for Workload Management

Shakeel takes over as deputy from Shaheen Shah Afridi as part of the selectors’ strategic decision to manage Afridi’s workload across one of Pakistan’s busiest seasons in recent years. Between the end of August and the start of April next year, Pakistan is scheduled to play nine Tests, 14 T20Is, and at least 17 ODIs.

Aamer Jamal’s Conditional Inclusion

Aamer Jamal, the standout performer from the Australia tour where he took 18 wickets and averaged nearly 30 with the bat, has been named in the squad subject to fitness. Jamal had to cut short his county stint last month with Warwickshire after sustaining a back injury. He recently posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was fully fit.

Significant Squad Changes

The current squad differs significantly from Pakistan’s last Test assignment, featuring seven changes. The most notable omission is Imam-ul-Haq, who had been a fixture in Pakistan’s Test XI since early 2022. He was dropped in Australia for the final Test in Sydney, replaced by Saim Ayub. Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz also miss out, solidifying Jamal’s role as the all-rounder in the lineup. Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan have also been dropped, indicating Pakistan’s intent to play with only one specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed.

Naseem Shah’s Return

Despite these changes, Pakistan will not be overly concerned, as they welcome back Naseem Shah to the Test side. Naseem Shah last played a Test just over a year ago, taking six wickets in an innings victory in Colombo. A shoulder injury in the Asia Cup subsequently kept him out of the ODI World Cup in India and the tour to Australia. Naseem Shah has since played plenty of white-ball cricket, and Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s new red-ball head coach, is eager to unleash Naseem and Afridi together again.

Kamran Ghulam’s Inclusion

Kamran Ghulam has been close to selection but had not yet broken through to the Test side. He was part of the squad for the home Tests against New Zealand in 2022-23. Ghulam made his case stronger this time by amassing 1025 runs in 11 first-class matches in the 2023-24 season and scoring 100 not out and 48 in three innings against Bangladesh A in Darwin last month.

Mohammad Ali’s First Recall

Mohammad Ali, receiving his first recall since debuting against England in December 2022, is one of five specialist fast bowlers in the squad. He took 47 wickets in 14 first-class matches last season and claimed nine wickets, including 6 for 63 in the second innings of the second match against Bangladesh A in Darwin.

Muhammad Hurraira’s Expectations

Muhammad Hurraira, 22, is expected to open alongside Abdullah Shafique, taking precedence over Saim Ayub, who debuted in Sydney. Hurraira has been in impressive form recently, including scoring a double hundred against Bangladesh A last month for the Shaheens. He averages 56.24 in his first-class career and has scored nearly 2000 runs over the last two first-class seasons. He was part of the Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour in July 2023 but did not get a game as Pakistan won the series 2-0.

Training and Test Schedule

The Pakistan squad will begin training in a camp from August 11 in Rawalpindi under Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, while the Bangladesh side will arrive in Islamabad on August 17. The two Tests, part of the World Test Championship, will be played from August 21 to 25 in Rawalpindi and from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi.

Pakistan Shaheen Squad Announced

The selectors also named a Pakistan Shaheen squad for the first four-day game against Bangladesh A, with revised dates announced hours later due to political unrest in Bangladesh. The BCB had to postpone their A team’s departure for Pakistan initially by 48 hours. The Pakistan Shaheens will start training on Wednesday under head coach Umar Gul. Gillespie and Mahmood will assist Gul before moving to the national side’s camp.

Future Plans and Replacements

Once the first four-day game is over, the eight Test probables will join the main Test squad, and the selectors will name their replacements in the Shaheens squad for the remaining matches.