On Tuesday, Pakistan’s selectors brought back fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi to the 15-player squad for the first Test match against England, which starts on October 7. Afridi had been left out of the team for the second and final Test against Bangladesh earlier this month because of his poor performance. However, he was included again for the first Test in Multan. Experienced left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who was not selected for the two Tests against Bangladesh, was also added to the squad. Bangladesh had surprisingly won both of those Test matches. Ali took the place of pace bowler Khurrum Shehzad, who is still recovering from an injury he got during the home series against Bangladesh.
All-rounder Aamer Jamal, who missed the series against Bangladesh due to fitness issues, was kept in the squad after recovering.
The rest of the players were the same ones who were part of the Pakistan squad for the two Tests against Bangladesh.
The Pakistan Cricket Board said that head coach Jason Gillispie asked the chosen players to leave the Champions Cup ODI event in Faisalabad. This was to let them rest before the series against England.
Most of the chosen players, like Shan Masood and Babar Azam, were playing in the Champions Cup’s current play-offs, except for one or two players.
Pakistan Test squad: Shan Masood (Capt), Saud Shakil (Vice Capt), Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Muhammad Huraira, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Mir Hamza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah.