FAISALABAD: Left-arm spinner Noman Ali was named in the Pakistan squad for the opening fixture of the upcoming three-match Test series against England on Tuesday, returning to the national side for the first time since July last year.

Noman is the only inclusion in the squad that played against Bangladesh in the recent two-match series, in which the visitors recorded a historic whitewash.

Batter Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali — who played both Tests against Bangladesh — have been dropped, but “remain firmly in the selectors’ plans” and have been advised to stay in action during the ongoing domestic Champions One-Day Cup and the upcoming President’s Cup — the departmental List A tournament.

“… due to the selection policy’s emphasis on consistency and continuity, and the belief that 15 players are sufficient for a Test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams in the Champions One-Day Cup and the President’s Cup, starting on 3 October, to ensure they stay match-ready through competitive cricket,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said of the players in a statement.

The return of Noman, who last played in Pakistan 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka away from home, suggests the team management may well be planning to set up a spin trap against England in Multan, with the venue set to host the first and second Tests from Oct. 7-10 and 15-19.

When England last played at the iconic Multan Cricket Stadium, in 2022, they were surprised by Abrar Ahmed’s “mystery” spin bowling on his debut. They ended up winning that match, however, before going on to complete a 3-0 whitewash over Pakistan.

Abrar has been named in the squad for the upcoming series as well, despite his ordinary show against Bangladesh, however on different pitches; fast-bowling conducive surfaces of Rawalpindi, the host for the third Test against England.

Despite being prepared to help the pacers, the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium pitch failed to work for Pakistan pace sensations Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi in the first Test, before both were dropped for the second.

The pace duo, despite the criticism levelled against them especially owing to their fitness as Test options, have been retained in the squad for the England series.

Khurram Shehzad, who was Pakistan’s best bowler against Bangladesh, is also not available due to injury. Meanwhile, his fellow seasoned pacer Mir Hamza will be there for the England series as the national side’s third fast bowling option. All-rounder Aamer Jamal also adds to the pace battery after fitness issues ruled him out of both Bangladesh Tests.

The Pakistan batting line-up remains the same for the England matches as well.

The selected players have been withdrawn from the Champions One-Day Cup “to allow them some rest ahead of the series”, said the PCB, while adding that the players will assemble in Multan on Monday, a day ahead of the training camp.

“With a busy domestic and international cricket schedule, it makes sense to give our players some much-needed rest ahead of the Test series against England,” Pakistan Test coach Jason Gillespie said in a statement.

“We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin. We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters.”

One-Day Cup playoffs. The squad will assemble in Multan on Monday, 30 September, with the training camp commencing on 1 October.

Pakistan squad for first Test against England:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2024