LAHORE (WS News) – The national squad for the second and third Tests against England has been announced.
Former captain Babar Azam, ace fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, along with wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed, have been dropped from the squad for the remaining matches.
The selection committee has also informed the PCB Chairman regarding these changes.
Sources indicated that the selectors decided to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Afridi in accordance to Pakistan’s future international cricket schedule.
Additionally, Abrar Ahmed was unavailable for selection due to dengue fever.
In their place, wicket-keeper Haseebullah, spinner Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam, fast bowler Muhammad Ali, and off-spinner Sajid Khan have been included.
Nauman Ali and Zahid Mahmood, who were initially part of the original squad but later dropped, have now been re-included in the 16-member squad.
The selection committee stated that choosing the team for the upcoming Tests against England was a challenging task, requiring consideration of Pakistan’s international schedule for 2024.
Keeping these factors in mind, they decided to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Afridi.
Pakistan Squad:
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Haris, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Nauman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, and Zahid Mahmood.
