Pakistan Test squad vs Sri Lanka: Salman Agha back, 3 uncapped batters, no Rizwan or Shan

Pakistan’s selectors have named a 14-man squad for the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka, bringing back Salman Ali Agha, picking three uncapped batters and leaving out Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq and Saim Ayub. Babar Azam stays captain despite the 3-0 whitewash in England.

The squad was announced on Saturday, 24 October. The first Test is in Rawalpindi from 9 to 13 November and the second at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium from 17 to 21 November, both part of the World Test Championship, Dawn and AFP reported.

Pakistan Test squad vs Sri Lanka

Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saud Shakeel.

Who are the three uncapped batters?

All three earned their places in the President’s Trophy Grade-I, the top domestic first-class event.

• Mohammad Taha, an all-rounder, tops the tournament’s run charts with 730 runs in seven matches.
• Mohammad Suleman has 652 runs, fifth on the list.
• Sameer Minhas, a former Pakistan Under-19 player, made 405 runs in seven matches in his very first first-class season.

Wicketkeeper Saad Baig is also in line for a Test debut, according to Dawn. He will captain the PCB Patron’s XI in a three-day warm-up against Sri Lanka in Islamabad from 4 to 6 November.

Why Salman Agha is back and Rizwan is not

Salman Agha and spinner Ali Usman were among seven players sent home before the third Test in England in August. Agha forced his way back with a match-winning century against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ODI tri-series in Rawalpindi.

Rizwan’s absence has a different background. AFP reports that he is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. Dawn says the NCCIA questioned Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq over alleged gambling and betting after the England tour, though the PCB has since let both play domestic first-class cricket. Neither player has been charged, and no reason was given for leaving out Shan Masood or Saim Ayub.

Our take

This is a clear reset. Several of the 14 names are new or nearly new to Test cricket, and the selectors have backed domestic runs over reputations. That is the right message after England, where Pakistan were outplayed in every Test.

The risk is the batting depth. With Shan, Imam and Saim out, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel will carry a very young top and middle order against Sri Lanka. The bowling, led by the experienced Mohammad Abbas and with Arafat Minhas fresh from his six-wicket haul against England in the tri-series, looks steadier.

Pakistan sit ninth and last in the World Test Championship table, with Sri Lanka seventh, AFP notes, so home wins are badly needed. Watch the Patron’s XI warm-up for the first look at the new faces.