The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Pacer Shaheen Afridi returns to Pakistan’s Test squad, along with uncapped batter Mohammad Huraira and all-rounder Aamir Jamal, ahead of Pakistan’s first assignment in the third cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.
“I am very excited to be returning to the Pakistan Test side after a year. I dearly missed Test cricket and it was tough for me to be away from this format," said Shaheen.
“After missing our entire home season because of the injury I suffered in Sri Lanka, I am eager to make an impactful comeback in the same country and complete a century of wickets in Test cricket. I want to thank my fans who have provided me support in tough times and I am ready for the challenges ahead," he added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan chief selector Haroon Rashid also opened up about the choices made.
“I want to congratulate all the players who have been selected in the side, especially Mohammad Huraira and Aamir Jamal who have pushed their case through impressive performances over a period of time," said Rashid.
“We have devised this squad with the conditions and challenges that our players will encounter in Sri Lanka. This is our first series of the third round of the ICC World Test Championship and this squad is fully capable of providing us a solid start.
“The conditions in Sri Lanka largely favour finger spinners – something that we have seen over the years and during Pakistan’s last visit to the island – so we have three such bowlers to go with the mystery spin of Abrar Ahmed. At the same time, we cannot overlook the need for fast bowlers and, as such, we have included four pacers so the captain and team management have ample resources on the tour. We boast a strong batting line-up, which I am confident will do well in the two matches.
“The players who have missed out on the selection should not get bogged down as they firmly remain part of our plans. We have an exciting and challenging season ahead of us and they should make the most of the opportunities in domestic cricket and Shaheens’ tours to keep themselves ready.”
Pakistan players will assemble in Karachi on July 3 for a camp ahead of their departure for Sri Lanka on July 9. The itinerary of the tour will be announced by Sri Lanka Cricket in due course.
Pakistan squad
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood
Expected schedule
First Test – July 16-20
Second Test – July 24-28