Islamabad [Pakistan], October 24 (ANI): Batters Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Taha and Mohammad Suleman have received their maiden Test call-ups for Pakistan.
Babar Azam leads the 14-member side that will go up against Sri Lanka in the two-Test series at home.
Pakistan selectors will add two pacers from the Pakistan Patrons side to the senior Test squad before the Test series begins.
The series is a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025/27, where Pakistan are presently at the bottom spot whereas Sri Lanka are in seventh place, as per the ICC.
Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, wicketkeepers Mohammad Ghazi Ghori and Saad Baig, along with Razaullah and Saud Shakeel, have retained their place in the Test squad.
Abdullah Shafique, who had recently played a starring role in Pakistan's win in the West Indies, with an unbeaten 160 in the first innings of the Port of Spain Test but subsequently struggled in England (84 runs in six innings), was dropped from the squad.
Also missing out is Shan Masood, who until recently had been the Pakistan Test skipper, as well as the spin-bowling pair of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali.
Left-arm spinner Ali Usman and batter Salman Agha are also part of the Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka.
The young batting trio have impressed in the Pakistan first-class season.
A 26-year-old left-handed batter, Taha, is the leading run-scorer in the President’s Trophy Grade-I first-class tournament, with 730 runs across seven matches.
In the same tournament, Mohammad Suleman is the fifth-highest run-getter with 652 runs. Sameer, playing his maiden first-class season, has impressed with 405 runs in seven matches.
Initial Pakistan Test Squad for the Sri Lanka series
Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saud Shakeel
Series schedule:
9-13 November, First Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
17-21 November, Second Test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. (ANI)
Shan, Shafique, spin pair of Noman-Sajid dropped from Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka series
