Pakistan have unveiled an initial 14-member squad for their two-match ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka, handing maiden call-ups to three uncapped batters while leaving former captain Shan Masood out of the home campaign.
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced the selection on Saturday, confirming that Babar Azam will continue to lead the side. The two Tests are scheduled for Rawalpindi and Lahore between 9 and 21 November.
Domestic Form Rewarded
Left-handed batters Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Taha and Mohammad Suleman have been rewarded for standout performances in domestic first-class cricket, with left-arm spinner Ali Usman and batter Salman Ali Agha also included in the party.
Taha has been among the leading run-scorers in the President’s Trophy Grade-I tournament since it began in September, amassing 730 runs in seven matches at an average that includes three centuries and a highest score of 225. Suleman sits fifth on the competition’s batting charts with 652 runs in seven matches, also registering three hundreds.
Minhas, meanwhile, has compiled 405 runs in seven matches during his maiden first-class season, having previously impressed with Pakistan’s Under-19 side before securing his first senior Test call-up.
Pace Attack to Be Finalised After Warm-Up
The initial squad will be supplemented by two fast bowlers following a three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka at Islamabad Club from 4 to 6 November. The PCB confirmed the pace additions will be drawn from the Patron’s XI once that fixture concludes.
Wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig will captain the 13-member Patron’s XI for the preparatory game, a side that includes six players named in the initial Test squad: Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha and Sameer Minhas.
The Patron’s XI pace options comprise Mohammad Salman, Shoaib Akhtar Jnr, Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan and Ubaid Shah, with batter Mohammad Tayyab Arif completing the line-up. The warm-up fixture will give the coaching and selection staff a final opportunity to assess the quick bowlers before settling on the attack for the series.
Series Schedule
The opening Test will be staged at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 9 to 13 November, before the teams move to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the second match from 17 to 21 November. Both fixtures form part of the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.
Squads
Pakistan Test squad: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas and Saud Shakeel.
PCB Patron’s XI: Saad Baig (captain and wicketkeeper), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Shabbir, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Saqib Khan, Sameer Minhas, Shoaib Akhtar Jnr and Ubaid Shah.
