The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named a 15-member squad for the upcoming two Test matches of the ICC World Test Championship against the West Indies. The series will take place in Multan, with matches scheduled from January 17-21 and January 25-29.
The squad sees seven changes from the team that toured South Africa, with several fresh faces brought in to bolster the lineup.
Retained players include captain Shan Masood, vice-captain Saud Shakeel, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Muhammad Rizwan, Noman Ali, and Salman Ali Agha.
In a bid to strengthen the spin department, leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed has been recalled alongside off-spinner Sajid Khan and left-arm spinner Noman Ali. Imam-ul-Haq and Muhammad Hurairah return to the squad to replace the injured Saim Ayub and out-of-form Abdullah Shafiq.
Resting players include fast bowlers Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Abbas, Mir Hamza, and Naseem Shah, as part of the team’s workload management strategy. In their place, Khurram Shahzad has been retained, while Mohammad Ali and uncapped Kashif Ali have been added to the squad.
The absence of wicketkeeper-batsman Haseebullah, who was injured during the South Africa tour, has opened the door for former Pakistan Under-19 and Shaheens captain, Rohail Nazir, to join the squad as a backup wicketkeeper.
Full Pakistan Squad for the ICC World Test Championship Series against the West Indies:
- Shan Masood (captain)
- Saud Shakeel (vice-captain)
- Abrar Ahmed
- Babar Azam
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Kamran Ghulam
- Kashif Ali
- Khurram Shahzad
- Mohammad Ali
- Mohammad Harira
- Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper/batsman)
- Noman Ali
- Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper/batsman)
- Sajid Khan
- Salman Ali Agha
The Test series promises to be an exciting contest, as Pakistan looks to continue their strong performance in the World Test Championship standings. The first Test is scheduled to begin on January 17 in Multan.
