Agha returns as Pakistan unveil Test squad

Pakistan on Saturday unveiled an initial 14-member squad for their two-match home Test series against Sri Lanka with three players earning maiden call-ups and several players from the recent England tour were left out.

Babar Azam will continue as captain for the ICC World Test Championship series, which will be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore from November 9 to 21.

Left-handed batsman Mohammad Taha and Mohammad Suleman, along with promising batsman Sameer Minhas have received their maiden call-ups following impressive performances in domestic cricket.

Taha, 26, is the leading run-scorer in the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-I first-class tournament, having amassed 730 runs in seven matches, including three centuries with 225 being his highest score.

Suleman has scored 652 runs in the same competition, also hitting three centuries, while Sameer has made 405 runs in seven matches during his maiden first-class season after impressing with Pakistan’s Under-19 side.

Ten players from Pakistan’s England tour have been omitted from the initial squad: They include Aamir Jamal, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Sajid Khan, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique and Ubaid Shah.

However, Ubaid has been included in the 13-member PCB Patron’s XI squad for a three-day side match against Sri Lanka from November 4 to 6 at the Islamabad Club.

The selectors will add two fast bowlers from the warm-up squad to the Test team after the match, with the final pace combination to be decided following the practice fixture.

Saad Baig will captain the Patron’s XI.

Six members of the initial Test squad will also get an opportunity to face Sri Lanka in the warm-up match.

Test squad: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saud Shakeel

Patron’s XI: Saad Baig (captain, wk), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Shabbir, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Saqib Khan, Sameer Minhas, Shoaib Akhtar Junior, Ubaid Shah