Babar, Shaheen dropped
The Pakistan cricket selectors have announced their squad for the second and third Test matches against England, which will be played in Multan and Rawalpindi on 15 and 24 October, respectively.
Taking into consideration the current form and fitness of key players and looking ahead to Pakistan's future assignments in the 2024-25 international cricket season, the selectors have decided to give rest to Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Abrar Ahmed (who is recovering from dengue fever) was unavailable for selection.
The four players have been replaced by Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam (all uncapped), fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan. Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were initially part of the original first Test squad but were subsequently released, have also been included in the 16-player squad.
Squad (for 2nd and 3rd Tests): Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.
Aqib Javed, member of the men's national selection committee, said, "Selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors. We've had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan's demanding 2024-25 international schedule. With these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket as well as the players, we've made the decision to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
"We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players regain their fitness, confidence and composure, ensuring they return in top shape for future challenges. They remain some of our finest talents with much more to contribute to Pakistan cricket. We are fully committed to supporting them during this period so they can come back even stronger.
"At the same time, we are offering opportunities to uncapped players like Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam, along with Mohammad Ali, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mehmood. They now have the chance to showcase their skills against a formidable England side. We believe they will rise to the occasion and make the most of this opportunity in the remaining two Tests."
Meanwhile, Haseebullah and Mehran Mumtaz, who were part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad for the ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup, have been replaced by Maaz Sadaqat and Rohail Nazir. The tournament will be held in Oman from 18 October.
Performance and fitness scrutiny
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi chaired a two-hour meeting on Sunday with the selection committee and mentors to discuss the national team's recent performance and fitness concerns.
Sources revealed that Naqvi first met privately with the team's mentors, followed by a joint discussion with the selection committee. One of the main focuses of the meeting was the fitness levels of the players, which have contributed to recent defeats.
During the session, the selection committee presented potential changes to the squad, while Naqvi and the mentors agreed to complete the performance evaluations and fitness assessments of players by the end of the current series.
The chairman also highlighted the need to improve the quality of pitches for future matches.
Attendees of the meeting included Aqib Javed, Azhar Ali, Aleem Dar, Hasan Cheema, and advisor Bilal Afzal. Domestic cricket director Abdullah Khurram Niazi and high-performance director Nadeem Khan were also present. Mentors Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis, and Saqlain Mushtaq attended in person, while Sarfaraz Ahmed and selection committee member Asad Shafiq joined via video link.
This meeting was arranged after Pakistan's poor performance in the recent Test series against England, where they suffered a 3-0 defeat, following an earlier 2-0 whitewash by Bangladesh. Pakistan has now lost six consecutive Test matches, which has significantly dropped their rankings to No. 9.
The Shan Masood-led team needs a strong performance in the upcoming second Test against England, set to begin on October 15 at Multan Cricket Stadium, to stay in the tournament and improve their standing.