Pakistan’s 19 players squad:
Pakistan has named a 19-man Test squad for the ICC World Test Championship matches against the West Indies. The two-test series will begin on Thursday, August 12 at Sabina Park. Pakistan captain Babar Azam revealed the selection during his pre-series media conference, which was held by teleconference on Wednesday.
Pakistan Test squad: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) (wicketkeeper) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Imran Butt (Balochistan), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Naseem Shah (Central Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper) (Sindh), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh), Yasir Shah (Balochistan) and Zahid Mahmood (Southern Punjab).
“Looking at the expected team composition for the two Tests and giving preference to the players’ well-being, it has been agreed to release Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz so that they can return to Pakistan and spend quality time with their families,” said Pakistan captain Babar Azam. This will also enable them a few extra days to unwind, recover, and refuel for the next commitments, which begin with the series against Afghanistan.
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“The last 12 months have been difficult, and the cricket that lies ahead will be similarly difficult and demanding. As a result, we need as many fresh bodies as possible without sacrificing team results and performances.
“Away Test series are always difficult, and we strive to be a high-performing team in away series. Red-ball cricket is the game’s apex format, requiring skill, stamina, technique, patience, and fitness. Test cricket does not allow for complacency at any stage, and this is what we hope to achieve at Sabina Park in the coming weeks.
“Because Jamaican pitches present a good challenge to batters, our batters must come to the party and demonstrate their full potential and caliber in the two Tests.” They have played well this year, and it is now time to carry that confidence into the Test series and put up a better and improved performance.
“When you come to the West Indies, you want to play your best cricket because of the region’s rich legacy and history. In this context, it was discouraging to see weather dominate the T20I series. As part of our T20 World Cup preparations, we wanted to give our players as many opportunities as possible against the West Indies’ firepower, but the series was hampered by rain.
“No one can control the weather, but I believe it is time to consider alternates to ensure that cricket is not adversely affected by the weather. I’m not sure if adding reserve days to all white-ball contests is an option, but I believe there should be some discussion about ensuring there is a little loss of cricket as possible owing to the weather.”
