ISLAMABAD: Pakistan announced their 12-man squad for the second Test against Bangladesh, making notable changes to their lineup.
Left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi has been dropped, with wrist spinner Abrar Ahmed included in the squad. Additionally, Mir Hamza has been named as a probable for the upcoming match.
Afridi’s performance in the first Test was underwhelming, with figures of 2/88 from 30 overs. Pakistan had went with a four-pronged pace attack in the first Test, consisting of Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Ali, while relying on part-time spinners Agha Salman, Saim Ayub, and Saud Shakeel.
This strategy did not yield the desired results, as Bangladesh gained a substantial 117-run lead in the first innings. In their second innings, Pakistan struggled against the spin of Shakib Al Hasan (3/44) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4/21), who combined to dismiss Pakistan for just 146 runs.
Abrar Ahmed, with 38 wickets from six matches at an average of 31.07 and an economy rate of 3.63, is expected to bolster Pakistan’s spin attack. Mir Hamza, who has nine wickets from five matches, is also in contention but is less likely to feature in the playing XI given the presence of experienced seamers.
The second Test will begin on Friday, August 30, at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Pakistan will be eager to avoid a 0-2 series defeat against the Bangladeshi team, who are poised for a historic series win. The playing XI will be announced at the toss, scheduled for 09:30 am, with the first ball set to be bowled at 10:00 am.
Pakistan’s 12-man probable: Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Agha Salman, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali, Mir Hamza.
