LAHORE: Naseem Shah will don the Pakistan Test whites for the first time in more than two years when the national team takes on Bangladesh in a two-match series later this month.

The pacer, who picked up a shoulder injury in the 2023 Asia Cup, was named on Wednesday in a 17-man squad for the series, which will be led by top-order batter Shan Masood.

The left-hander, will have a different deputy this time, with middle-order batter Saud Shakeel appointed as the vice-captain for the format, replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose short stint in the role lasted the duration of the Australia series.

The decision is “part of the selectors’ strategic decision that is aimed at managing Pakistan’s lead fast bowler’s workload management” during the period from August 21 to April 5 next year — which will see the national side play nine Tests, 14 Twenty20 Internationals and a minimum of 17 ODIs, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

Shaheen, however, remains the spearhead of the Pakistan pace battery, which, along with Naseem Shah, will include the likes of Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza and Mohammad Ali — who returns to the squad on the back of a nine-wicket show for the Pakistan Shaheens against Bangladesh ‘A’ in the recent four-day series.

Ali, who was axed from the national side after his first two Tests — against England in 2022 — is one of the three additions to the Pakistan roster against Australia along with Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Huraira — the trio rewarded for consistent performances in the domestic circuit.

While Ali has taken 71 wickets across the last two domestic seasons, Kamran Ghulam aggregated 1,025 runs in 11 first-class matches last season and then had scored 148 runs in three innings against Bangladesh ‘A’.

Huraira, too, smashed a blistering double-century against Bangladesh ‘A’ last month, to add to almost 2000 runs that he had amassed across the last couple of first-class seasons.

The right-handed opener is expected to replace Imam-ul-Haq at the top of the Pakistan batting order, following the latter’s axing from the squad due to a run of poor form. All-rounder Faheem Ashraf and spinners Mohammad Nawaz, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan have also been dropped, along with pacers Hasan Ali and Mohammad Wasim Jr, who are nursing their respective injuries.

Aamer Jamal is the only all-rounder in the squad, but his inclusion in the Bangladesh series, the PCB said, is “subject to fitness”. Abrar Ahmed, meanwhile, is the only specialist spinner in the team, suggesting Pakistan will look to go with pace-friendly wickets.

The two Tests will be played in Rawalpindi, from Aug. 21-25, and in Karachi, from Aug. 30- Sept. 3. The series will be preceded by a two four-day-match series and three 50-over matches between Pakistan Shaheens and Bangladesh ‘A’.

Saud will lead the Shaheens squad in the first four-dayer of the series, of which a revised schedule was released by the PCB on Wednesday, after the visitors’ departure for was delayed by 48 hours due to the detoriarating political situation in Bangladesh.

However, according to the new schedule, the four-day matches will be played from Aug. 13-16 and Aug 20-23. The one-dayers will be played on Aug. 26, 28 and 30. All matches will be hosted by the Islamabad Club in the capital.

The venue is currently being used for the Pakistan Shaheens’ training camp ahead of the first four-day game. The Shaheens squad for the match includes Test team members Kamran, Hamza, Ali, Huraira, Naseem, Saim Ayub and Sarfraz Ahmed.

The camp is being conducted by Pakistan Test head coach Jason Gillespie, Shaheens’ gaffer Umar Gul and the national side’s assistant coach Azhar Mahmood.

Following the four-day match, the eight Test probables will join the national side and the selectors will announce their replacements in the Pakistan Shaheens squad for the remaining matches against Bangladesh ‘A’.

Test squad: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pakistan Shaheens squad for first four-dayer against Bangladesh ‘A’: Saud Shakeel (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Mohammad Huraira, Naseem Shah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Saad Khan, Saim Ayub, Sameen Gul, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Umar Amin.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2024