PAK vs ENG: Pakistan announce their squad for the 1st test vs England

PAK vs ENG: Pakistan announce their squad for the 1st test vs England: Pakistan?s Cricket Governing-Body, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Tuesday, named their 15-player squad for the first test-match versus England. Pacer Khurram Shahzad is not a part of the squad for the first match after suffering an injury during the second Test-match versus Bangladesh.

As a replacement for the pacer, the home side have left-arm-orthodox-spinner Noman Ali, who has picked up 47 Test-Wickets in 15 test-matches and even has a top-score of 97 runs next to his name.

Right-handed batter Kamran Ghulam, who scored two centuries in Pakistan's Champions One-Day-Cup, and seamer Mohammad Ali have not been included in the squad for the 1st test due to ? the emphasis of the selectors on continuity and consistency and the belief that a 15-member squad is pretty sufficient for a test-match?.

Ghulam and Ali will continue taking part in the Champions One-Day-Cup and the forthcoming President's Cup starting from the 3rd of October onwards.

"With a highly occupied International & Domestic Cricket-schedule, it becomes important to provide an ample amount of rest to our core-players ahead of the England Test-Series,? Pakistani Test Cricket Head-Coach Jason Gillespie said.

?We are looking-forward to the highly-anticipated home Test-Series versus England and we can't wait for it to commence. We are really excited about the prospect of playing in front of our enthusiastic fans?, Gillespie added.

The first match of the series is scheduled to take place in Multan on the 7th of October. The squad of the Shaheens will arrive at the Multan Cricket Stadium on the 30th of September, Monday and they will start with their training sessions the next day on 1st October.

Shan Masood and his men will be looking to bounce back from a shocking 2-0 Test-Series defeat versus Bangladesh.

Pakistan's squad for the 1st Test match versus England

Babar Azam, Shan Masood (Captain), Aamer Jamal, Saud Shakeel (Vice-Captain), Mir Hamza, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Huraira, Noman Ali, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed (WK), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha.

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For more information, visit the official websites of ICC and Pakistan Cricket.