LAHORE: Fast bowling spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi returned to traditional five-day cricket after a one-year gap as the national selectors on Saturday announced a 16-member Pakistan squad for a two-Test series in Sri Lanka next month.

Two uncapped players, batter Mohammad Huraira and all-rounder Aamir Jamal, are also included in the Babar Azam-led squad for the series the schedule of which is yet to be announced.

The two-game rubber will be Pakistan’s first assignment in the third cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.

Left-armer Shaheen had injured his left ankle during the 2022 tour of Sri Lanka which kept him away from international cricket for several months.

The 23-year-old Shaheen was glad at his return to the Test side.

“I am very excited to be returning to the Pakistan Test side after a year. I dearly missed Test cricket and it was tough for me to be away from this format,” he said.

“After missing our entire home season because of the injury I suffered in Sri Lanka, I am eager to make an impactful comeback in the same country and complete the century of my wickets in Tests.”

While lanky Shaheen, who has maintained a fine bowling average of 24.86 in 25 Tests, is just one wicket away from reaching 100-wicket mark, no Pakistan bowler has picked up more wickets than him since he made his Test debut on Dec 3, 2018.

The squad contains four spinners, four fast bowlers, six specialist batters and two wicket-keepers.

Chief selector Haroon Rashid said the squad had been picked according to the playing conditions of Sri Lanka.

“We have devised this squad with the conditions and challenges that our players will encounter in Sri Lanka. This is our first series of the third round of the ICC World Test Championship and this squad is fully capable of providing us with a solid start,” former Test cricketer Haroon said.

“The conditions in Sri Lanka largely favour finger spinners – something that we have seen over the years and during Pakistan’s last visit to the island — so we have three such bowlers to go with the mystery spin of Abrar Ahmed. At the same time, we cannot overlook the need for fast bowlers and, as such, we have included four pacers. We boast a strong batting line-up, which I am confident will do well.”

The 21-year-old Huraira has played 24 first-class matches and was the leading run-scorer in the last two editions of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

In the 2022-23 season, the Sialkot-born right-hander was the only batter to reach the 1000-run mark, playing an integral role in helping Northern to their maiden first-class title.

In 11 matches of the season, Huraira smashed four centuries and two half-centuries on his way to 1,024 runs at a healthy average of 73.14.

He continued his impressive first-class form on the tour of Zimbabwe last month scoring 178 and 64 against Zimbabwe ‘A’ at Kwekwe and Mutare.

He holds the record for being the second youngest batter to score a first-class triple century in Pakistan, behind legendary Javed Miandad. Huraira achieved the feat in the 2021-22 season, hitting 311 in Northern’s thumping win of an innings and 170 runs over Balochistan at the State Bank Ground, Karachi.

Huraira will be joined by his Northern and Shaheens’ team-mate Aamir.

The 27-year-old, who hails from Mianwali, topped the wicket-takers chart for the fast bowlers in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23, taking 31 scalps at 29.71 and recorded two five-wicket hauls.

He was the leading wicket-taker in the recent six-match one-day series between Zimbabwe Select and Pakistan Shaheens with 16 wickets.

The Pakistan squad will assemble in Karachi on July 3 for a camp ahead of their departure for Sri Lanka on July 9. The itinerary of the tour will be announced by Sri Lanka Cricket in due course.

MORNE MORKEL APPOINTED BOWLING COACH

Meanwhile, the PCB announced the appointment of Morne Morkel as the national side’s bowling coach.

The 38-year-old former South African pacer has joined the national side on a six-month contract.

Morkel could not join the national team during the home series against New Zealand along with other coaching staff because of his engagements in the IPL.

Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, wicket-keeper), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood.

Player support personnel: Rehan-ul-Haq (manager), Grant Bradburn (head coach), Andrew Puttick (batting coach), Morne Morkel (bowling coach), Aftab Khan (fielding coach), Abdul Rehman (assistant coach), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Cliffe Deacon (physio), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital content manager), retired Lt Col Usman Anwari (security manager), Talha Ejaz (analyst), Malang Ali (masseur).

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2023