Saud Shakeel Named New Test Vice-Captain as Pakistan Announces Squad for Bangladesh Series
The Pakistan Cricket Board’s men’s national selection committee has revealed a 17-member squad for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh. The first Test is set for 21-25 August at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and the second Test will take place from 30 August-3 September in Karachi.
The Pakistan Test side will begin their training camp at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 11 August under the guidance of head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood. The Bangladesh cricket team is expected to arrive in Islamabad early on 17 August and will begin training that same afternoon.
Pakistan Test Squad:
- Shan Masood (captain)
- Saud Shakeel (vice-captain)
- Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness)
- Abdullah Shafique
- Abrar Ahmed
- Babar Azam
- Kamran Ghulam
- Khurram Shahzad
- Mir Hamza
- Mohammad Ali
- Mohammad Huraira
- Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper)
- Naseem Shah
- Saim Ayub
- Salman Ali Agha
- Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper)
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
The team will be led by Shan Masood, with left-handed middle-order batter Saud Shakeel appointed as vice-captain. Saud takes over from Shaheen Shah Afridi as part of the selectors’ strategy to manage the workload of Pakistan’s lead fast bowler, given the busy schedule from 21 August 2024 to 5 April 2025, which includes nine Tests, 14 T20Is, and at least 17 ODIs.
Thirteen players from Pakistan’s last series against Australia in December/January 2023-24 have been retained. New inclusions Mohammad Huraira, Kamran Ghulam, and Mohammad Ali have earned their spots due to consistent domestic performances, while Naseem Shah returns to the red-ball side after 13 months.
Notable Performances:
- Kamran Ghulam: Scored 1,025 runs in 11 first-class matches in the 2023-24 season and 148 runs in three innings against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin, including a century.
- Mohammad Ali: Took 24 wickets in six first-class matches in the 2022-23 season and 47 wickets in 14 matches in the 2023-24 season. In the four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’, he claimed nine wickets, including six for 63 in one innings.
- Mohammad Huraira: Scored a double-century against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin and had strong performances in the last two first-class seasons, breaking the 1,000-run barrier in the 2022-23 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and scoring 961 runs in the 2023-24 season.
Players who missed out include Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali (injured), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (injured), Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan.
Pakistan Shaheens:
- Saud Shakeel (captain)
- Kamran Ghulam
- Mehran Mumtaz
- Mir Hamza
- Mohammad Ali
- Mohammad Rameez Jnr
- Mohammad Huraira
- Naseem Shah
- Saad Baig (wicket-keeper)
- Saad Khan
- Saim Ayub
- Sameen Gul
- Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper)
- Umar Amin
Saud Shakeel will also lead the Pakistan Shaheens in their first match against Bangladesh ‘A’. The squad includes Test team members Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, and Sarfaraz Ahmed.
