The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday confirmed that they have released mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed and middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam from the squad for the first Test against Bangladesh which is set to begin on August 21.
Abrar and Ghulam will join the Pakistan Shaheens’ squad for the second four-day match against Bangladesh 'A' which will start on August 20 in Islamabad.
On the other hand, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Saud Shakeel, who played for the Pakistan Shaheen side, have joined the first team.
The PCB will go with the all-pace attack in the first Test in Rawalpindi and their likely pace attack will consist of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mir Hamza and one of Khurram Shehzad or Mohammad Ali.
“Wrist spinner Abrar Ahmed has been released from the Pakistan Test side and he will now represent Pakistan Shaheens in the second four-day match against Bangladesh ‘A’, which will start at the Islamabad Club on Tuesday, 20 August,” the PCB said in a presser.
“The decision has been made after the selectors have opted to go with an all-pace attack in the first ICC World Test Championship match against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, 21 August. Instead of benching him for the Test, the selectors named him in the Shaheens squad so that he can gain some match practice ahead of the second Test, which will start in Karachi on 30 August.
Uncapped top-order batter Kamran Ghulam is the other player to be released from the Pakistan Test side and has been retained in the Pakistan Shaheens side for the second four-day match. He has also been appointed as the captain.
Pakistan Shaheens squad (for second four-day)
Kamran Ghulam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ali Zaryab, Ghulam Mudassar, Imam-ul-Haq, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Awais Anwar, Niaz Khan, Qasim Akram, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Saad Khan, Sharoon Siraj and Umar Amin
Pakistan's updated squad for First Test
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, 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
- Abrar Ahmed
