In a major shake-up, Pakistan has dropped prominent players, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Sarfaraz Ahmed, from the squad for the second and third Test matches against England.
In the first test in Multan, Pakistan lost by an innings and 47 runs, putting them at a 0-1 deficit in the three-match series and the bottom of the World Test Championship standings.
The newly formed selection committee, established shortly after the first Test defeat, cited the players’ current form and fitness as key factors in its decision. Looking ahead to Pakistan’s upcoming commitments in the 2024-25 international cricket season, the selectors aim to allow these players to rest and recover their form.
Despite a challenging year for Babar, who has not scored a Test half-century since 2022 and stepped down as captain following a disappointing T20 World Cup, and Shaheen’s struggles to regain form post-injury, the committee believes in their potential contributions to Pakistan cricket.
In response to these changes, uncapped players Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam, fast bowler Mohammad Ali, and off-spinner Sajid Khan have been called up. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, unavailable due to dengue fever, will also miss the selection.
Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, initially part of the original squad for the first Test but then released, have been recalled for the matches in Multan and Rawalpindi on October 15 and 24, respectively.
With Haseebullah and Mehran Mumtaz joining the Test squad, Maaz Sadaqat and Rohail Nazir will replace them in the Pakistan Shaheens squad for the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Oman starting October 18.
