LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled a 16-member squad for the second and third Tests against England, sans key players Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Young fast bowler Naseem Shah and experienced wicketkeeper Sarfaraz are also not part of the cricket team.
“Taking into consideration the current form and fitness of key players and looking ahead to Pakistan’s future assignments in the 2024-25 international cricket season, the selectors have decided to give rest to Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi,” a statement released by the cricket governing body said on Sunday.
It said that Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, fast bowler Mohammad Ali, off-spinner Sajid Khan and all uncapped Kamran Ghulam will replace the players.
Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, have also been included in the 16-player squad, the PCB said. It further added that leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed is also not available for the second Test as he is still recovering from dengue fever.
According to the PCB, the same team has been finalised for the third Test match as well, which will be played in Rawalpindi on 24 October.
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Member of the men’s national selection committee Aqib Javed speaking to the media after the squad announcement said selecting the team for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors.
“We’ve had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule,” he said.
He said that the decision to give a rest to Babar Azam and other major players has been made in the interest of Pakistan cricket and its players.
He said that the PCB will continue to support the cricketers during this period so they can come back to the game.
The second Test is going to start on October 15 at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.
