Pakistan Announces Squad for Upcoming Test Series Against Bangladesh
Pakistan's 16-Member Test Squad Revealed
On April 18, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled a 16-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh, which is set to commence on May 8 in Dhaka. Shan Masood has been appointed as the captain of the Test team, and the squad includes four uncapped players: Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, according to a statement from the PCB.
The first Test match, part of the ICC World Test Championship, will take place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka from May 8 to 12. The second Test is scheduled for the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, running from May 16 to 20.
Five players from the announced squad—Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan—are currently engaged in a red-ball training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
The team will reconvene in Karachi for an additional training camp starting on April 27, which will continue until May 1. The squad is expected to depart for Bangladesh on May 2. Players participating in the ongoing Pakistan Super League will join the camp once their teams conclude their campaigns, with those advancing to the final traveling to Bangladesh after the tournament.
Additionally, the PCB has appointed former Test captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as the head coach for the Bangladesh tour. Sarfaraz has previously led Pakistan to two ICC titles—the ICC U19 World Cup in 2006 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017—and recently mentored the Pakistan U19 team to victory in the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup in December.
Former Test players Asad Shafiq and Umar Gul will take on the roles of batting and bowling coaches, respectively, for the tour. Asad has played 147 international matches, scoring 6,188 runs, while Umar has participated in 237 internationals, taking 427 wickets.
The complete squad for the Test series against Bangladesh includes: Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.