Pakistan will begin an all-out speed attack in the first test against Bangladesh after removing the specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed, from the squad. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made strategic changes to its Test team ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh.
PCB prioritizes match practice for important players and goes with an all-pace bowling attack. Shaheen Shah Afridi is set to spearhead the attack, with Naseem Shah, Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shehzad, and Mir Hamza as potential fast-bowling possibilities for the test opener in Rawalpindi on Wednesday.
Players Shift to Pakistan Shaheens
Spinner Abrar Ahmed and top-order batsman Kamran Ghulam have been released from the main team. They will now represent Pakistan Shaheens in their second four-day match against Bangladesh ‘A’, which begins on August 20th at the Islamabad Club.
The decision to release Abrar came after the PCB selectors decided to go with an all-pace assault in the series opener. “Wrist spinner Abrar Ahmed has been released from the Pakistan Test side, and he will now represent the Pakistan Shaheens in the second four-day match against Bangladesh ‘A’, which will start at the Islamabad Club on Tuesday, 20 August,” PCB said.
“The decision was made after the selectors opted to go with an all-pace attack in the first ICC World Test Championship match against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, 21 August. Instead of benching him for the Test, the selectors named him in the Shaheens squad so that he can gain some match practice ahead of the second Test, which will start in Karachi on 30 August,” the press release added.
This means that the Pakistan Test has been reduced to 15 players, but it will return to its normal 17-player strength after the second four-day match when Abrar and Kamran will rejoin the squad for the Karachi tour.
Strategic Decisions and Squad Adjustments
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In addition to Abrar, uncapped top-order batsman Kamran Ghulam has been dropped from the Test team. The 28-year-old will take over as captain of Pakistan A in the second four-day match, replacing Saud Shakeel. Saud has rejoined Pakistan’s Test team, along with previous captains Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Mir Hamza. As well as Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Naseem Shah, and Saim Ayub, following their participation in the first four-day encounter between Pakistan A and Bangladesh.
The Pakistan Cricket Board stated that the selectors wanted the spinner to have some match experience before the second test, which begins in Karachi on August 30. Both Abrar and Ghulam will return to Pakistan’s test team ahead of the second test match. Pakistan’s last test match with an all-pace attack came during the 2019 home series against Sri Lanka. Salman Ali Agha, an all-rounder, is Pakistan’s lone spin option in the opening test. The off-spinner has bowled regularly in test matches since 2023 and picked up some vital wickets for Pakistan.
Pakistan Shaheen’s Squad (for the second four):
Abrar Ahmed, Ali Zaryab, Qasim Akram, Ghulam Mudassar, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam (captain), Sharoon Siraj, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Awais Anwar, Niaz Khan, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Saad Khan and Umar Amin.
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