Pakistan announce squad for Bangladesh Tests

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have announced the 20-member squad for the Bangladesh Test series. The teams are set to cross swords in three T20Is, starting November 19, followed by a two-match Test series set to commence on November 26.

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Pakistan have been in good form of late and enjoyed a stellar run in the 20-20 World Cup. However, they have not played a lot of Test cricket recently. A Test series Bangladesh is no more a walk in the park and the team need to play exceptionally well to emerge victorious. 

Speaking about the Pakistan squad, Abdullah Shafique and Kamran Ghulam are the two uncapped players in the squad. Meanwhile, Imam ul Haq has also been recalled. While there were speculations that Pakistan may give their seniors a rest from the series, the board has opted to go in with a full-strength squad.

The likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam will comprise a strong batting order, while Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas will round off a quality team. Also, given the spin-friendly conditions, Nauman Ali and Mohammad Nawaz will play a big role in the series.

Pakistan last played a Test series against West Indies in August which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Pakistan’s squad for Bangladesh Test series: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Bilal Asif, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mahmood.