Pakistan announce Sarfaraz Ahmed as new head coach, include 4 uncapped players for Tests vs Bangladesh

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on April 18 announced their 16-man squad for Bangladesh tour and their new head coach. Former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed as the new head coach of the red-ball side.

The selectors included four uncapped players – Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais and Ghazi Ghori – to the Test squad. As a result, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Rohail Nazir and Asif Afridi have been dropped.

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In addition to Sarfaaz, Asad Shafiq and Umar Gull will be the batting and bowling coaches respectively. Currently, Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Ghori, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan are a part of the red-ball conditioning camp at National Cricket Academy, Lahore. Pakistan squad will assemble in Karachi from April 27. Those who will be playing PSL will join the squad after the final in Bangladesh. The squad is set to reach Bangladesh on May 2.

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Pakistan’s Test squad for Bangladesh tour

Shan Masood (c), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Sarfaraz’s Test record

Sarfaraz had earlier worked with Pakistan’s Under-19 and A team. The Champions Trophy 2017-winning captain has played 54 Tests, scoring 3,031 runs at an average of 37.41, including four tons and 21 fifties. He led Pakistan in 13 Tests, winning four, losing eight whereas one ended in a draw.

Pakistan’s Test series schedule vs Bangladesh and WTC cycle

The two-Test series will begin on May 8 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The second Test is scheduled to commence on May 16 at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan are currently placed fifth on the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points table with one win and a loss against South Africa at home. They will face West Indies in a two-Test series on Caribbean soil. Then, they will go to England for a three-Test series. Their last two Test series of the cycle are at home against Sri Lanka and New Zealand respectively.