Pakistan announces 16-member squad for first test against England

DERBY: Pakistan has announced a 16-member squad today (Tuesday) for the first Test against England, starting from August 05 at Old Trafford, Manchester.

The team management has left out all-rounder Faheem Ashraf and pacers Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz and Imran Khan from the 20 shortlisted players.

The squad comprises of Azhar Ali (c), Babar Azam, Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Imamul Haq, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah.

Pakistan’s squad for the first England Test:

Azhar A (c), Babar A (vc), Abid A, Asad S, Fawad A, Imam, Kashif B, M Abbas, M Rizwan, Naseem S, Sarfaraz A, Shadab K, Shaheen A, Shan M, Sohail K and Yasir S.#ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/i3SaXeHoIC

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 4, 2020

Pakistan is the second Test team, after West Indies, to tour England this summer. The tour includes three Tests and three T 20 Internationals. Meanwhile, the Tests matches will be part of the ongoing ICC Test Championship.

All three T20 Internationals will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester on 28th, 30th August and September 1st respectively. A strict bio-secure environment keeps spectators away from the grounds due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier on Monday, Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq expressed satisfaction with the team’s preparations for the England series and said that the team was in good form and ready to play.

The head coach said, “The top order’s performance is crucial to winning the match,” adding that if a team scores over 300 runs on the board in the first innings, then it had 70% chances of winning the match.

He pointed out that the series against England was an opportunity for young bowlers to exhibit their skills. “Pakistani bowlers lacked experience when compared to their counterparts,” he highlighted.