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| Pakistan cricket team squad announced for Sri Lanka tour |
The Pakistan cricket team has announced its squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka. The squad consists of Babar Azam as the captain, Muhammad Rizwan as the vice-captain and wicketkeeper, Amir Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, and Imam-ul-Haq.
Additionally, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nouman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, and Shan Masood have also been included in the squad for the tour of Sri Lanka. This series, consisting of two Test matches against Sri Lanka, will mark Pakistan's first participation in the third ICC World Test Championship.
The support staff for the Pakistan team will include Rehan-ul-Haq as the manager, Grant Bradburn as the head coach, Andrew Piotke as the batting coach, Morne Morkel as the bowling coach, Aftab Khan as the fielding coach, and Abdul Rehman as the assistant coach. Other members of the support staff include Drax Simon as the strength and conditioning coach, Cliff Deacon as the physiotherapist, Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi as the media and digital content manager, Lt Col Retd Usman Anwari as the security manager, Talha Ejaz as the analyst, and Maling Ali as the masseur.
🚨 16-strong squad for our first assignment of the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship 💪
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/IwunZOcj6i#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/Pj1YWUmWxg— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) June 17, 2023
Chief selector Haroon Rasheed congratulates all the selected players, especially Muhammad Harira and Amir Jamal, for their outstanding performance that earned them a spot in the team.
He emphasizes that the team has been chosen with careful consideration of the conditions and challenges in Sri Lanka. This series marks Pakistan's first participation in the third ICC Test Championship, and Rasheed believes that this squad is fully capable of delivering a strong start.
Rasheed points out that the conditions in Sri Lanka favor finger spinners, as observed in the past and during the previous tour of the Pakistan team. Therefore, the team includes three spinners, including the mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Acknowledging the significance of fast bowlers, Rasheed mentions that four fast bowlers have been selected to provide the captain and team management with ample resources for the tour. The batting lineup is also formidable.
Rasheed assures that the players who couldn't make it to the tour should not be disheartened, as they remain part of the team's future plans.
The Pakistan cricket team will gather in Karachi on July 3 for their camp, which will continue until their departure on July 9. The tour schedule will be released by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board.
The last Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka took place in July 2022 and resulted in a 1-1 draw.
