Pakistan announce playing XI for 2nd Test against England; Kamran Ghulam to make his red-ball debut
Pakistan have named their playing XI for the upcoming second Test against England, scheduled to begin from Tuesday, October 15, in Multan. After axing the likes of Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, and Babar Azam, the Men in Green have named a revamped playing XI devoid of the aforementioned star players.
In Babar's absence, Kamran Ghulam is slotted in to bat in the middle-order. Fans and pundits have been clamoring for the 29-year-old to feature in the team for a while now, amid the team's ongoing batting woes. Boasting an average of 49.17 after 59 first-class appearances, the right-hander has finally availed the opportunity to play Test cricket.
The rest of the batting unit remains the same, given that they did score 556 runs collectively in the first innings of the series opener.
In the absence of Shaheen and Naseem, Pakistan have made a couple of changes to their bowling unit. They are relying on spinners to turn around their fourtune in the series, as they recall veteran spinners Noman Ali and Zahid Mahmood, while Sajid Khan also features in the home season for the first time.
Aamer Jamal is the sole pacer in the bowling department, which aligns with the reports suggesting that the pitch to be used in the second Test is a turning one.
Pakistan playing XI for second Test against England
Abdullah Sahfique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (C), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Zahid Mahmood.
"Babar was willing to play the remaining Test matches against England, but we felt he needed some rest" - Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood
The axing of the star players midway through the series certainly came as a shock for the majority. Babar Azam had been struggling for runs over the last few months, but no one expected a ruthless axe by the new selection committee straightaway.
Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood clarified that Babar was not dropped, but in fact, rested, keeping the upcoming busy schedule in mind.
"Babar is our number 1 player, there is no question about his technique or ability. If you look at Pakistan’s FTP, there is a lot of cricket coming up, which is why I think the selection committee decided this is a good time to give Babar a rest so that he comes back fresh. After this, we have tours of Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, which are very important," Azhar Mahmood said during the pre-match press conference via India Today.
"Babar Azam is not dropped but given rest. Babar was willing to play the remaining test matches against England, but we felt he needed some rest," he added
Pakistan have suffered six straight Test losses, coinciding with Shan Masood's reign as skipper since late 2023. They are placed at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, and are in desperate need of a turnaround.