Pakistan has announced their roster for the next Test against Bangladesh, with a significant omission of a key batter.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selection committee for the men’s national team has announced the squad for the ICC World Test Championship matches.

The inaugural Test match is scheduled to take place in the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from August 21st to August 25th, followed by the second Test in Karachi from August 30th to September 3rd.

The host team’s training camp will start at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on August 11, under the supervision of red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood.

The arrival of the Bangladesh cricket team in Islamabad is planned for the early hours of August 17, with their training session anticipated to take place in the afternoon of the same day.

Shan Masood will retain his position as the captain of the Test team, while Saud Shakeel, a left-handed middle-order batsman, has been chosen as the new vice captain of Pakistan’s red-ball side.

Saud replaces Shaheen Shah Afridi as per the selectors’ strategic choice to effectively manage the workload of Pakistan’s premier fast bowler during a hectic season.

The Pakistan cricket team has a schedule of nine Test matches, 14 T20 internationals, and a minimum of 17 one-day internationals from August 21, 2024, to April 5, 2025.

The Test team for the Bangladesh series in Pakistan consists of 17 members, with 13 players who participated in the previous series against Australia in December/January 2023–24.

Mohammad Huraira and Kamran Ghulam, who have not yet reached their full potential, together with Mohammad Ali, a player who has represented Pakistan in Test matches, have been recognized and given opportunities due to their consistent performances in domestic cricket and for the Pakistan Shaheens team.

Meanwhile, fast bowling prodigy Naseem Shah is making a comeback to the Test cricket team after a break of 13 months.

Kamran Ghulam accumulated a total of 1,025 runs across 11 first-class matches during the 2023–24 season. Additionally, he scored 148 runs in three innings against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin last month, with a notable achievement of 100 not out in the first match.

He was included in the squad for the home series against New Zealand in December/January 2022–23, but he did not participate in the two-match series that ended in a draw.

The fast bowler Mohammad Ali has been reinstated after his last appearance in the first two Tests against England in 2022.

In the 2022–23 season, he achieved a total of 24 wickets over six first-class matches. This was followed by an impressive performance in the 2023–24 season, where he got 47 wickets in 14 first-class matches.

Ali claimed a total of nine wickets in the two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin. Notably, he achieved an impressive feat of taking six wickets for a mere 63 runs in the second innings of the second match.

Meanwhile, Huraira achieved a remarkable score of 200 runs against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin last month. In addition, he had exceptional performances in his most recent first-class seasons.

Huraira was the sole batsman in the 2022–23 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy to surpass the milestone of 1,000 runs, accumulating a total of 1,024 runs in 11 matches for the Northern team.

During the 2023–24 first-class season, the 22-year-old batsman, who bats with his right hand, achieved a total of 961 runs in 14 matches while representing both the Faisalabad Region and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

He was included in the squad for the July 2023 tour to Sri Lanka but did not participate in the series. Pakistan emerged victorious with a 2-0 score.

Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali (currently injured), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (now injured), Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan were the players that were unable to maintain their positions in the Test team.

Imam-ul-Haq accumulated a total of 57 runs throughout two Tests against Sri Lanka. Additionally, he scored 94 runs in the Perth and Melbourne Tests. In the Perth Test, Faheem managed to take one wicket, while Sajid claimed three wickets in the Sydney Test. It is worth noting that Nawaz and Noman did not participate in any of the tests.

The Pakistan team squad for the Test series against Bangladesh
The team consists of Shan Masood as the captain, Saud Shakeel as the 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 as the wicket-keeper, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed as the wicket-keeper, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.