Pakistan, on Saturday (June 17), announced their squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. The series will get underway next month and will begin the ongoing World Test Championship cycle for both the teams.
Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi has returned to the squad for the series. The left-arm pacer has not played a Test since injuring his knee during the tour of Sri Lanka in July last year. He returned to action before the T20 World Cup in Australia before suffering another injury in the same knee while Pakistan were playing against England in the final.
He then returned to lead Lahore Qalandars to title in the Pakistan Super League and recently plied his trade in the T20 Blast. Expressing his delight over the Test return, Afridi told PCB: 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.
“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 a century of wickets in Test cricket. I want to thank my fans who have provided me support in tough times and I am ready for the challenges ahead.”
Pakistan squad for Test series against Sri Lanka:
Pakistan’s selectors have also included uncapped batter Mohammad Huraira and all-rounder Aamir Jamal in the 16-men Test squad. The team will have four spinners, four fast bowlers, six specialist batters and two keeper-batters.
Huraira has earned the call-up after impressing in domestic circuit. He has played 24 first-class, 10 List A and six T20s so far. The batsman was the leading run-scorer in the last two editions of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Last month, he impressed against Zimbabwe A too, scoring 178 and 64. Huraira holds the record for being the second youngest batter to score a first-class triple-century in Pakistan.
Talking about Aamir, he was the highest wicket-taker among pacers 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 dismissals at an average of 21.
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka Tests:
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood
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