LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced an 18-member Pakistan Shaheens squad for a tour of England scheduled from July 17 to August 6, featuring two three-day matches and three 50-over games.

Test middle-order batter Saud Shakeel, who has featured in 19 Tests for the national side, will lead the squad, which comprises a mix of international experience and domestic performers. He is joined by fellow Test-capped players Sajid Khan (12 Tests), Mir Hamza (seven Tests), and Musa Khan (one Test).

The tour, part of the PCB’s development strategy to provide overseas exposure to emerging players, features as many as 11 players under the age of 25.

Prominent among the selections are Azan Awais and Maaz Sadaqat — the two leading run-scorers of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2024-25, who amassed 844 and 646 runs respectively. Other batters named in the squad include Ali Zaryab, Haider Ali, Mohammad Suleman, Omair Bin Yousuf, and Shamyl Hussain, while Rohail Nazir has been included as wicket-keeper.

In the bowling department, Mushtaq Ahmed, who claimed 77 wickets across the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and President’s Trophy, leads the pace attack alongside FATA’s Shahid Aziz and young pacer Ubaid Shah.

The spin attack will be spearheaded by Sajid Khan, supported by left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz, wrist-spinner Faisal Akram, and off-spinning all-rounder Mubasir Khan.

The squad will assemble for a preparatory camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi, ahead of its departure to England on July 16. Fixture details are expected to be announced by the PCB in due course.

Former Test opener Imran Farhat has been named head coach for the tour.

Squad: Saud Shakeel (captain), Ali Zaryab, Azan Awais, Faisal Akram, Haider Ali, Maaz Sadaqat, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Suleman, Mubasir Khan, Musa Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Shahid Aziz, Shamyl Hussain, Ubaid Shah

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2025