Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 20 man squad for the #PakvsBan Test series while Usman Shinwari has decided to retire from Test cricket.
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Squad Announced For The #PakvsBan Test Series
Opener Imam-ul-Haq, upper-order batsman Kamran Ghulam and off-spinner Bilal Asif were recalled while Yasir Shah missed out because of an injury when PCB announced a 20 man squad for Pakistan’s Test series against Bangladesh i.e. scheduled to begin from November 26, 2021. Other notable omissions included Haris Rauf, Imran Butt and Shahnawaz Dahani. The squad comprises of the following players.
Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Bilal Asif, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Zahid Mahmood.
Read: Australia To Tour Pakistan, Squad Announced For T20s In Bangladesh
Mohd. Wasim Explains Who Was Selected and Why
While explaining who was selected and why Chief Selector, Mohd. Wasim said, “We have selected the squad following discussions with the team management and after taking into consideration the opposition’s potential make-up and the conditions in which the Tests will be played. As we already have four frontline fast bowlers, we have allowed Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani to return to Pakistan after the T20Is so that they can play in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and prepare for Australia Tests. An in-form left-handed Imam-Ul-Haq has replaced Imran Butt, who managed to score at 17.8 in 10 Test innings, but he has a chance to continue to play and perform in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy so that he can force his way back in the side. Bangladesh are strong side in their backyard but we have the resources, talent and experience to perform strongly and then carry that momentum into the Australia Tests, which will be part of the ICC World Test Championship.”
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Usman Shinwari Retires From Test Cricket
Pacer Usman Shinwari in a surprise move decided to retire from Test cricket. Explaining his decision the 27 year old said, “Alhamdullilah, I have made my comeback again from a back injury and now I am absolutely fit. But due to my doctors and physio advise, I have to leave the long format to avoid such injuries in future and prolong my cricket career. I am resigning from red-ball.”