The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released their mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed and uncapped top-order batter Kamran Ghulam from their squad for the first Test at Rawalpindi against Bangladesh. Pakistan will play two Test matches against Bangladesh scheduled to start on 21 August. The second match between Pakistan vs Bangladesh will take place at the National Stadium in Karachi on 30 August it will be played without the audience as the cricket stadium is under maintenance because of the upcoming Champions Trophy 2024.
There are chances that rain will play spoilsport during the first Test match and that is why the hosts will go for a heavy pace attack
“Wrist spinner Abrar Ahmed has been released from the Pakistan Test side and he will now represent Pakistan Shaheens in the second four-day match against Bangladesh ‘A’, which will start at the Islamabad Club on Tuesday, 20 August" said PCB in a press release.
“The decision has been made after the selectors have opted to go with an all-pace attack in the first ICC World Test Championship match against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, 21 August. Instead of benching him for the Test, the selectors named him in the Shaheens squad so that he can gain some match practice ahead of the second Test, which will start in Karachi on 30 August” added the release.
Uncapped top-order batter Kamran Ghulam is the other player to be released from the Pakistan Test side and has been retained in the Pakistan Shaheens side for the second four-day match. He has also been appointed as the captain.
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This means the Pakistan Test has been trimmed to 15 players, but will be back to its original 17-player strength after the conclusion of the second four-day match when Abrar and Kamran will rejoin the side for the Karachi visit.
Updated squads for Bangladesh and Pakistan for the Test series.
Bangladesh's Test squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed.
Star opener Mahmudul Hasan has been ruled out of the World Test Championship due to a groin injury.
Pakistan's Test squad: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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