LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday, announced a 15-member squad including fast bowling all-rounder Aamir Jamal for the first Test against England, set to take place in Multan from 7-11 October.
Jamal was initially named in Pakistan’s squad for the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh but was released ahead of the commencement of the series.
The all-rounder sustained a back injury during his stint with Warwickshire in the County Championship on June 8 and has been out of action since then.
Meanwhile, right-arm pacer Khurram Shehzad, who was part of the Bangladesh Tests, is recovering from an injury and thus was replaced by left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who has 47 wickets in 15 Tests.
The other notable absentees are Kamran Ghulam, who was a part of the squad for Bangladesh Tests but did not make it to the Playing XI, and fast bowler Mohammad Ali.
“Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali, who were part of the squad for the Bangladesh Tests, remain firmly in the selectors’ plans,” said PCB in a statement.
“However, due to the selection policy’s emphasis on consistency and continuity, and the belief that 15 players are sufficient for a Test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams in the Champions One-Day Cup and the President’s Cup, starting on 3 October, to ensure they stay match-ready through competitive cricket,” the statement added.
Following the squad announcement and based on the recommendation of head coach Jason Gillespie, the selected players have been withdrawn from the Champions One-Day Cup playoffs to allow them some rest ahead of the series.
“With a busy domestic and international cricket schedule, it makes sense to give our players some much-needed rest ahead of the Test series against England,” said Gillespie.
“We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin. We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters,” he added.
The squad will assemble in Multan on Monday, 30 September, with the training camp commencing on 1 October.
Pakistan Squad for first England Test:
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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