On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced their playing eleven for the first Test against Bangladesh. The series will commence on August 21 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the second Test scheduled from August 30 to September 3 in Karachi. This series will be Jason Gillespie’s first assignment as Pakistan’s Test coach.
The squad features Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Ali as the primary pace bowlers, while Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha will handle the spin duties. Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub will open the batting, with Shan Masood and Babar Azam positioned in the middle order.
Fast bowler Aamir Jamal has been excluded from the squad due to persistent fitness concerns. Jamal, who sustained a back injury while playing County cricket in England earlier this year, was initially included in Pakistan’s squad for the ICC World Test Championship series, pending fitness clearance. However, he has not fully recovered and has been sent to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore for rehabilitation.
Pakistan’s lineup for the 1st Test against Bangladesh is as follows: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (Captain), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel (Vice-Captain), Mohammad Rizwan (Wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Ali.