Pakistan to add two reserve players to Test squad for series vs England

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have added two reserve players in Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali to their 15-man squad for the first Test against England, beginning on October 7 in Multan. Leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood will join the pre-Test camp in Multan as the 16th player, with the final squad to be trimmed to 15 for the opening game, GeoSport report.

Ghulam is currently the third-highest run-getter in the ongoing Champions One-day Cup with 248 runs in five innings at 48.60 with a couple of centuries. Ali, the right-arm pacer, played in the second Test against Bangladesh but went wicketless in both innings. Both the players were part of the Pakistan squad that faced the Tigers in the recently concluded Test series.

Mahmood, on the other hand, has performed well in the Champions Cup, taking 10 wickets in five matches at 19.80. The wrist-spinner also played in the previous series against England at home in 2022.

PCB's statement read (via GeoSport):

"Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali will remain on reserve but will continue playing domestic matches to stay match-ready," the PCB said in a statement. "All three players are part of the Pakistan Test team setup, but 15 players are sufficient for the home Test series due to cricketing and logistical reasons," he added.

Pak squad for first Test vs 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, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mahmood.

Pakistan coach reveals the reason behind Kamran Ghulam's non-selection in the Test squad

Pakistan's red-ball coach Jason Gillespie addressed Ghulam's exclusion from the 15-man Test squad to face England, saying they were keeping faith in the current squad. He said, as quoted by CricketPakistan.pk:

"I saw him [Kamran Ghulam] perform with Pakistan Shaheens in Darwin. His form has been acknowledged, but we're showing faith and patience in our current squad."

Shan Masood and Co. are under pressure to perform against England, having suffered a humiliating 2-0 loss to Bangladesh at home.