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Pak vs Eng Test series – Shan Masood takes over as captain as Aamer Jamal returns from first test

Pakistan have retained Shan Masood as their captain for the first match of the three-Test series against England, starting in Multan on October 7. Aamer Jamal has earned a place in their 15-man squad following his return from the back-row, U -Khurram Shahzad, who took six wickets in the second Test against Bangladesh, has missed out after failing to fully recover from his team’s left-arm injury.
Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who did not feature in the Bangladesh series, returns to the side as the second-choice front-line spinner alongside Abrar Ahmed.
There was some scrutiny over Masood’s place after the 2-0 home Test series defeat to Bangladesh earlier this month, but he has retained his role for now, as Pakistan look to overturn a poor result in the longest format. They have lost each of their five Test matches, all managed by Masood, and are on a 10-match unbeaten run in Tests at home.

One piece of good news for Pakistan is the return of fast bowler Jamal, the star performer on their 2023-24 Australian tour. Jamal has been dealing with problems at the back in recent months, and was not part of the series against Bangladesh. He returned to 50 overs in the Champions Cup.

This contradicts, however, Shahzad’s absence. He suffered the injury in the second Test against Bangladesh, and was expected to be fit for the England series when the fracture was determined, but he has not fully recovered.

Top batsman Kamran Ghulam and fast bowler Mohammad Ali, who were part of the squad for the Bangladesh series, have been left out. The PCB release said that both “remain firmly in the selectors’ plans. However, due to the selection policy emphasizing consistency and continuity, and the belief that 15 players are enough to make the test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams. in the Champion One-Day Cup and and the President’s Cup, which starts on 3 October, to ensure they remain game-ready for competitive cricket.”

The players selected for the Test squad have been withdrawn from the Champions Cup playoffs so they can rest before the start of the England series. The team will meet in Multan on September 30, with their pre-series training camp starting on October 1.

Pakistan squad for first Test against England

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha , Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi.


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