3 big takeaways from Pakistan's squad for Bangladesh Tests
In a bid to revive their World Test Championship (2023-25) campaign, Pakistan have started their preparations to host Bangladesh in a two-match Test series starting on August 21.
Earlier today, Pakistan named a 17-man squad for the two Tests which saw the inclusion of a few new faces who were rewarded for consistent performances at the first-class level.
Here is the squad:
The squad features familiar faces who were part of the squad which toured Australia earlier in the year. 13 of the players from the tour Down Under managed to retain their place in the squad. The likes of Imam-ul Haq, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Mohammad Ali failed to make the cut.
Pakistan have lost three and won two in this ongoing WTC cycle and desperately need a turnaround. They haven't played the best brand of cricket in the longest format and a complete overhaul might not have been the way forward. Shan Masood who is still relatively new to the role of the Test skipper, will need to lead from the front and ensure to convert his starts into big ones.
The Test squad will assemble in Rawalpindi for a training camp ahead of the series. This will be Jason Gillespie’s first assignment as Pakistan’s Test coach while assistant coach Azhar Mahmood will also be part of the set-up. The opening Test will be played in Rawalpindi from August 21 while the final Test will be played in Karachi from August 30.
With that, let us have a look at three big takeaways from Pakistan’s squad for the Bangladesh Tests:
#1 Return of Naseem Shah
One of the biggest takeaways from Pakistan’s perspective has to be the return of Naseem Shah who comes back to red ball action after 13 months. The young speedster oozes class but his relatively short career has been marred by injuries already. He last played a Test match in Sri Lanka back in July 2023.
Naseem brings the perfect balance to the bowling attack as the other bowlers can bowl around him. Naseem is a special talent who has the ability to trouble any top-class batters quite consistently. Even on docile Pakistan pitches, Naseem has bagged a truckload of wickets both at the domestic and the international level.
Naseem can swing the ball late and generate steepling bounce from the hard length and can consistently bowl in one channel for long periods. His inclusion will be a massive boost for Pakistan.
#2 Perfect blend of youth and experience
The Pakistan squad picked for the Test series against Bangladesh has a perfect mix of youth and experience. While the selection committee decided to include a few fresh faces, rewarding them for their impressive showing in the domestic circuit, the squad has quite a few experienced players.
Saud Shakeel was made the vice-captain of the Pakistan Test team which clearly suggests that the team management wants to look forward. Shan Masood is an experienced campaigner and can pick the brains of players like Sarfaraz Ahmed, Babar Azam, and Shaheen Afridi who have had prior experience of captaining the Pakistan side.
The inclusion of Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hurraira, and Mohammad Ali suggests the fact that the selectors are sincerely working towards rewarding the players who are performing consistently at the domestic level. The squad has the ability to outstage any opponents on their day.
#3 Pakistan boasts an exceptional pace bowling cartel
In Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, Pakistan have two of the top fast bowlers in world cricket at the moment. Shaheen Afridi’s new ball exploits make him a potent option against any opponents. Bangladesh will have their task cut out against Afridi, especially against the new cherry.
Meanwhile, Naseem Shah is making a return to Test cricket after a while. However, he has worked through the injury and has already made a comeback in the white ball formats. While red ball cricket is a whole new proposition altogether, Naseem is a champion in every aspect.
He will play a massive role if Pakistan are to continue their dominant run against Bangladesh. Mir Hamza had a wonderful time in Australia and the trio can make a significant impact even on relatively flat Pakistan pitches.