Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Taha and Mohammad Suleman receive maiden Test call-ups
\n London
\nPakistan on Saturday announced an initial 14-member Test squad for the upcoming two-match ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka, with Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Taha and Mohammad Suleman receiving their maiden call-ups.
\nThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squad for the series, which will be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore from 9 to 21 November.
\nBabar Azam will continue to lead the Test side, while Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, wicketkeepers Mohammad Ghazi Ghori and Saad Baig, Razaullah and Saud Shakeel have retained their places. Ex-skipper Shan Masood has been dropped.
\nLeft-arm spinner Ali Usman and batter Salman Ali Agha have also been included in the squad.
\nThe selectors will add two fast bowlers from the PCB Patron\u2019s XI to the Test squad after the conclusion of the three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka, scheduled for November 4-6 at Islamabad Club.
\nThe three uncapped batters earned their maiden Test call-ups following impressive performances in first-class cricket.
\nLeft-handed batter Mohammad Taha, 26, is the leading run-scorer in the President\u2019s Trophy Grade-I first-class tournament, which began in September. He has scored 730 runs in seven matches, including three centuries and a highest score of 225.
\nMohammad Suleman ranks fifth on the tournament\u2019s batting charts, having accumulated 652 runs in seven matches, also with three centuries.
\nSameer Minhas, playing his maiden first-class season, has scored 405 runs in seven matches after an encouraging stint with Pakistan\u2019s Under-19 side.
\nMeanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig will captain the PCB Patron\u2019s XI in the warm-up match against Sri Lanka\u2019s Test squad.
\nThe side also includes six players from Pakistan\u2019s Test squad: Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha and Sameer Minhas.<\/p>\n
Pakistan Test squad
\nBabar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas and Saud Shakeel.<\/p>\n
PCB Patron\u2019s XI squad
\nSaad Baig (captain and wicketkeeper), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Shabbir, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Saqib Khan, Sameer Minhas, Shoaib Akhtar Jnr and Ubaid Shah.<\/p>\n
Test series schedule
\nNovember 9-13: First Test, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.<\/p>\n
November 17-21: Second Test, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Taha and Mohammad Suleman receive maiden Test call-ups London Pakistan on Saturday announced an initial 14-member Test squad for the upcoming two-match ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka, with Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Taha and Mohammad Suleman receiving their maiden call-ups. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squad for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":574182,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-574169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n