Pakistan have made a set of tough calls ahead of their next two clashes against England. They have dared to drop the likes of veteran batter Babar Azam and pace duo Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah.
The likes of uncapped and talented batter Kamran Ghulam have been called up to feature for Pakistan and might be seen tackling the middle order, replacing the great Babar Azam.
The other major name who has been replaced from the side is Haseebullah, who replaced the veteran wicketkeeper and Champions Trophy-winning captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed.
While spinner Mehran Mumtaz has also been called up for a backup option other than Abrar Ahmed, who went wicketless for Pakistan in the first Test. Seasoned spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali have also been added to the squad as they replaced two quicks from the side.
Though Babar’s drop in form has been documented well, the dip in form for Shaheen has also been quite eminent, since he has averaged over 45 in red-ball cricket since his return to Test cricket after his injury.
Naseem was the other pacer who endured with bad form as well. Naseem remained Pakistan’s specialist red-ball bowler for years without having played white-ball cricket. After Naseem returned from his injury this April, he could not assess his pace and accuracy following his surgery.
Pakistan’s probable playing 11 ahead of the Second Multan Test
The Pakistan Cricket Board has finally announced their squad for the upcoming test match fixtures to be held against the touring English side, who crushed them in a disastrous defeat.
Pakistan Squad for 2nd and 3rd Test: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, and Zahid Mehmood.
Let’s take a look at the possible playing 11 ahead of the final two tests against England:
Openers: Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub
Pakistan’s most highly recognized opening pair is Shafique and Ayub, of which the former was seen as a centurion in the first innings of the Pakistan inning.
Middle-order batters: Shan Masood [C], Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan
The Pakistan skipper started off well in the first innings against England, as the Multan track always seems to be a healthy track for batters. The legendary Babar Azam might be replaced by the debutant Kamran Ghulam.
Among the Pakistan team, the two most set batters who seem to be in touch, Saud Shakeel and Rizwan, are expected to be possibly placed into the side.
All-rounders and bowlers: Salman Ali Agha, Mir Hamza, Aamer Jamal, Abrar Ahmed, and Noman Ali
The in-form Salman Ali Agha, who scored stunning innings against Bangladesh, also went on to score a hundred in the first inning of the game while also backing his innings with another half-century.
Also, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi will be replaced by a duo of spin and pace, as the most likely players to be brought into the squad are Hamza and Noman Ali.
