Shaheen Shah Afridi has been included in Pakistan’s Test squad for their two-match series against Sri Lanka next month, the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a press release on Saturday.
“After missing our entire home season because of the injury I suffered in Sri Lanka, I am eager to make an impactful comeback in the same country and complete a century of wickets in Test cricket,” the press release quoted the 2021 ICC cricketer of the year as saying.
After a break of four months, Afridi made his comeback for the national team in the Twenty20 International (T20I) and One-Day International (ODI) squads for the home series against New Zealand in April.
No Pakistani bowler has been able to match the tally since the lanky left-arm pacer made his debut in 2018. The bowler is one wicket away from reaching a century of Test wickets.
Shaheen, 23, has an economy of 3.04 and an average of 24.86.
???? 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
The PCB board stated that uncapped all-rounder Aamir Jamal and batter Mohammad Huraira are also included in the side set to face Sri Lanka for what will be Pakistan’s first assignment in the third cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.
Pakistan squad
Squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, and Shan Masood.
