• Besides Mohammad Ali and Abrar Ahmed, two players who have returned to the team are Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Zahid Mehmood, who were both a part of the Test squad for the three Tests against Australia earlier this year.
• Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim: We assembled this team taking into account player form, the game’s environment, and the opposition.
• Four players have changed since Pakistan’s last Test assignment.

Pakistan has named an 18-player squad for its three ICC World Test Championship matches against England in December. Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed and fast bowler Mohammad Ali have received their first Test calls-ups as a result of their outstanding first-class performances.

Abrar, 24, is on fire in the currently running Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Abrar had taken 43 wickets at an average of 21.95 before the final round began on Sunday (20 November). In six games, he has taken five five-wicket hauls, and he has been a key factor in elevating his team’s chances of reaching the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final.

Mohammad Ali of Central Punjab has been the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy’s best fast bowler for the past two seasons, taking 56 wickets. The most for a fast bowler in the first-class season is his 24 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls, at 25.54 in six games. In eight games in 2021–2022, he took 32 wickets at a strike rate of 22.78, which was a fast bowler record.

Uncapped The other two players who have returned to the team are Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Zahid Mehmood, who were both a part of the Test squad for the three Tests against Australia earlier this year.

Babar Azam (c) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Abrar Ahmed (Sindh), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Haris Rauf (Northern), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Mohammad Ali (Central Punjab), Mohammad (Sindh)

The team has undergone four changes since Pakistan’s most recent Test match, which was played in Sri Lanka and finished in a 1-1 tie in the two-match series. Hasan Ali, Fawad Alam, Yasir Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the four players who aren’t on the team.

Shaheen was not eligible for selection after undergoing appendix surgery on Sunday. He will need three to four weeks of recovery time before starting his two-week right knee rehabilitation programme again.

Fawad got 25 runs in his lone Test against Sri Lanka while managing 33 runs in four innings of three Tests earlier this year against Australia. Yasir Shah picked up nine wickets in Sri Lanka but has only taken 14 wickets in seven Quaid-e-Azam Trophy games so far. Hasan Ali collected five wickets in his most recent four Tests against Australia and Sri Lanka.

“I want to congratulate all the players who have been chosen for the historic Test series against England,” said Muhammad Wasim. The form of the players, the weather, and the opposition were all taken into consideration while choosing this 18-man lineup.

“This series has given Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr., and Zahid Mehmood opportunity. Abrar has been in the public eye since his maiden season in a first-class league in 2020–21. He is in excellent form right now, therefore it makes sense to give him to Babar Azam so that he may utilise this young man’s talent and assurance in the future series.

“Zahid is a different bowler who has been considered. He has been a member of the succeeding squads and has demonstrated growth over the years.

“We have added the best talent available to our fast bowling lineup. The abilities of Muhammad Wasim Jr. are undeniable. He moves both the new and old ball quickly and laterally, which is a significant advantage for any team.

“Mohammad Ali has demonstrated excellent restraint and control, and his statistics speak for his reliability. With 56 wickets at an average of 24 over the past two seasons in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, he has been our best fast bowler.

“I am sure that this team will make sure that the next Test series against England ends in the same way that it did when they last played Pakistan in 2005.

The three Test matches are scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi (1-5 December), Multan (9-13 December), and Karachi as part of the ICC World Test Championship (17-21 December).

In the 2021–23 cycle, each of the nine clubs plays six series—three at home and three away. Pakistan’s next series will be their last one, which will be two Test matches against New Zealand in December 2022 and January 2023. English participation in the second World Test Championship will end with these three Test matches.

Coaches who provide support for the players include Mansoor Rana as manager, Saqlain Mushtaq as head coach, Shahid Aslam as assistant to the head coach, Mohammad Yousuf as batting coach, Shaun Tait as bowling coach, Cliffe Deacon as physiotherapist, Drikus Saaiman as strength and conditioning coach, Abdul Majeed as fielding coach, Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi as media manager, Ammar Ahsan (masseur).

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