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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shan has scored 2,926 runs in 50 Tests at an average of 30.80, including seven centuries and 15 half-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.
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. His tally includes three centuries and a highest score of 225.
Suleman has also impressed in the tournament, ranking fifth on the batting charts with 652 runs in seven matches, including three centuries. Sameer, playing his maiden first-class season, has scored 405 runs in seven matches after impressing for Pakistan’s Under-19 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. Ali Usman and Salman have also been included, while Mohammad Taha, Suleman and Sameer are the new faces.
The squad further includes Mohammad Abbas, the experienced fast bowler, while left-arm spinner Arafat and Ali Usman provide spin options. Salman offers additional batting depth and an all-round option.
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. Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Suleman, Taha and Sameer will also feature in the 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. Two fast bowlers will be added to Pakistan’s Test squad after the warm-up match concludes on Nov 6.
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. The PCB announcement did not specify individual reasons for the 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.
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. The warm-up fixture will provide the selectors with a final assessment of the available pace options before the Test campaign begins.
Pakistan Test squad: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas and Saud Shakeel.