Pakistan have dropped former Test captain Shan Masood as selectors turn to youth and domestic performers for the two-match ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka, with Babar Azam retaining the captaincy of a revamped 14-member squad announced by the country’s cricket board on Saturday.
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Azam → drop → Saturday
Three batters — Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Suleman and Sameer Minhas — have earned maiden Test call-ups, while Ali Usman and Salman Ali Agha have also been included in the squad for the series to be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore from Nov 9 to 21.
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Usman → earn → 21
Shan’s omission marks a significant change in Pakistan’s top order as the selectors look beyond established international players amid the team’s struggles in the current WTC cycle.
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selectors → mark → cycle
The left-handed opener scored 109 against the West Indies in the opening Test in Trinidad in July before missing the second match with a finger injury.
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opener → score → injury
Against England later in the year, he managed scores of 29 and five at Leeds, 26 and one at Lord’s, and 95 and five at Edgbaston, finishing the three-Test series with 161 runs in six innings.
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he → manage → innings
Shan has scored 2,926 runs in 50 Tests at an average of 30.80, including seven centuries and 15 half-centuries.
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Shan → score → centuries
His exclusion, alongside those of several other established players, points to a renewed emphasis on domestic performances as Pakistan seek to strengthen their red-ball fortunes.
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Pakistan → establish → fortunes
Taha, 26, has been the leading run-scorer in the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-I competition, accumulating 730 runs in seven matches since September.
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Taha → lead → September
His tally includes three centuries and a highest score of 225.
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tally → include → 225
Suleman has also impressed in the tournament, ranking fifth on the batting charts with 652 runs in seven matches, including three centuries.
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Suleman → impress → centuries
Sameer, playing his maiden first-class season, has scored 405 runs in seven matches after impressing for Pakistan’s Under-19 side.
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Sameer → play → side
Babar will be joined by Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, wicketkeepers Mohammad Ghazi Ghori and Saad Baig, Razaullah and Saud Shakeel, who have retained their places.
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who → join → places
Ali Usman and Salman have also been included, while Mohammad Taha, Suleman and Sameer are the new faces.
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Taha → include → ?
The squad further includes Mohammad Abbas, the experienced fast bowler, while left-arm spinner Arafat and Ali Usman provide spin options.
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Arafat → include → options
Salman offers additional batting depth and an all-round option.
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Salman → offer → depth
Wicket-keeper-batter Saad Baig will lead the 13-member PCB Patron’s XI in a three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka at Islamabad Club from Nov 4 to 6.
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Baig → lead → 6
Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Suleman, Taha and Sameer will also feature in the match.
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Fazal → feature → match
The Patron’s XI pace attack comprises Mohammad Salman, Shoaib Akhtar Jnr, Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan and Ubaid Shah, with batter Mohammad Tayyab Arif completing the squad.
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Arif → comprise → squad
Two fast bowlers will be added to Pakistan’s Test squad after the warm-up match concludes on Nov 6.
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match → add → Nov
Other notable omissions include Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan, while Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali and Sajid Khan have also been left out of the initial squad.
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Jamal → include → squad
The PCB announcement did not specify individual reasons for the exclusions.
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announcement → specify → exclusions
Pakistan will host the first Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from Nov 9 to 13, with the second scheduled at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from Nov 17 to 21.
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second → host → 21
The series presents Pakistan with an opportunity to improve their position in the WTC standings while testing a younger group of players against Sri Lanka.
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series → present → Lanka
The warm-up fixture will provide the selectors with a final assessment of the available pace options before the Test campaign begins.
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campaign → warm → options
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