Following their crushing loss to Bangladesh, the Men in Green aim to redeem their Test standing and improve their World Test Championship (WTC) rankings when they take on England next month. Shan Masood remains the Test captain, with 37-year-old left-arm spinner Noman Ali making a return to the squad. Noman, who replaces injured pacer Khurram Shahzad, has featured in 15 Tests, claiming 47 wickets in his career.
As for the pace attack, Aamer Jamal, who missed the Bangladesh Tests due to injury, has been declared fit for the first Test against England. Initially ruled out of the Bangladesh series, Jamal was named in the squad for the second Test but didn’t make the final playing XI.
Additionally, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali have been left out despite being part of the squad for the Bangladesh Tests. Ghulam was called up for the second Test but did not get a chance to play, while Ali managed 2-88 in the first match but went wicketless in the second. The PCB statement read, “Due to the selection policy’s emphasis on consistency and continuity, and the belief that 15 players are sufficient for a Test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams in the Champions One-Day Cup and the President’s Cup, starting on 3 October, to ensure they stay match-ready through competitive cricket.”
With a packed cricket schedule ahead, head coach Jason Gillespie highlighted the importance of managing player workloads. He said, “ With a busy domestic and international cricket schedule, it makes sense to give our players some much-needed rest ahead of the Test series against England.” He further added, “We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin. We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters.”
Pakistan and England are set to clash in a three-match Test series, which is part of the ICC World Test Championship. The opening Test is scheduled to be held from October 7 to 11 at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan.
Pakistan squad for first Test against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
