Pakistan have decided to retain Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha in the playing XI for the Lord’s Test against England, while Saud Shakeel will be dropped.
Following Pakistan’s innings-and-103-run defeat to England at Headingley, Leeds, the national team’s senior players have come under intense criticism.
There had been speculation that team management would hand former captain and experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan a Test debut in place of Ghazi Ghori, while Salman Ali Agha, who led Pakistan in Babar Azam’s absence in Leeds, would be left out of the Lord’s Test.
However, according to reports, both senior players will feature in Pakistan’s side for the second Test, which begins at Lord’s on Thursday.
The 34-year-old Rizwan, who has played 46 Tests, and 32-year-old Salman Ali Agha, who has appeared in 28 Tests, will retain their places in the 11-member squad. With Test captain Babar Azam returning after missing one match, 30-year-old Saud Shakeel, who scored 5 and 14 in the Leeds Test, will be dropped.
After spinner Ali Usman took five wickets for 95 runs in Leeds, there was strong speculation that Pakistan would bring in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 32-year-old right-arm spinner Sajid Khan as the second spinner at Lord’s. Sajid has taken 77 wickets in 16 Tests at an average of 28.81.
However, captain Babar Azam indicated at a press conference that Salman Ali Agha remains his first choice to partner Ali Usman as the second spinner.
The other change following Babar Azam’s return is expected to be Obaid Shah, who made his Test debut against the West Indies in Port of Spain, Trinidad. He is being considered as a replacement for Khurram Shahzad.
