Days after naming squad for the T20I series, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday (16th November) announced a 20-member squad for the two-Test series.
Pakistan will tour Bangladesh for a 3-match T20I and 2-Test series. The T20Is will be played from 19th November to 22nd November, while the first Test will be played on 26th November in Chattogram. The second and the final Test match will begin from 4th December in Dhaka.
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Veteran spinner Yasir Shah has not been named in the squad as he is still recovering from a thumb injury, which even ruled him out of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
The likes of Imam-ul-Haq and off-spinner Bilal Asif have been recalled into the squad while uncapped batter Kamran Ghulam has received his maiden call-up for the national side.
The spin duo of Sajid Khan and Zahid Mahmood is also in the 20-member squad while pacers Shahnawaz Dahani and Haris Rauf, who were part of the team during the West Indies tour, have not been named in the squad.
PCB’s chief selector Mohammad Wasim said that they have selected a balanced squad considering the opposition and the conditions. He added that they have allowed Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani to play in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and prepare for Australia Tests.
“We have selected the squad following discussions with the team management and after taking into consideration the opposition's potential make-up and the conditions in which the Tests will be played.
As we already have four frontline fast bowlers, we have allowed Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani to return to Pakistan after the T20Is so that they can play in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and prepare for Australia Tests,” Mohammad Wasim said.
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Wasim admitted that Bangladesh is a strong side in their backyard but Pakistan has got the talent and experience to beat them and take momentum into the Australia Tests.
"Bangladesh are a strong side in their backyard but we have the resources, talent, and experience to perform strongly and then carry that momentum into the Australia Tests, which will be part of the ICC World Test Championship,” he said.
Here’s Pakistan’s Test squad for the Test series against Bangladesh:
Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (VC- WK), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Bilal Asif, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (WK), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mahmood.
(PTI inputs)
