Leg-spinner Yasir Shah and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz have returned to the Test squad for next month’s two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim announced on Wednesday.
Pakistan will play their first Test against the hosts at Galle from July 16, while the second Test will start in Colombo on July 24. Before the formal start of the series, the visitors will play a three-day warm-up match from July 11.
Salman Ali Agha, who has scored 4,224 runs and taken 88 wickets in the first-class circuit, is another addition to the squad.
Nawaz is the third player to be recalled. Previ-ously, he was named in the squad for Australia Tests but was later withdrawn due to injury.
The 18-member squad named for the latest series includes three openers, four middle-order batsmen, three all-rounders, two wicketkeepers, two spinners and four fast bowlers.
“We have selected this squad considering the conditions in Sri Lanka and have equipped the team with the best possible resources,” said Wasim while announcing the Test squad.
In the upcoming 2022-23, Pakistan are set to host England and New Zealand for three and two Tests in a home international season.
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka Tests: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ah-med (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood and Yasir Shah
Player support personnel: Mansoor Rana (man-ager), Saqlain Mushtaq (head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Mohammad Yousuf (bat-ting coach), Shaun Tait (bowling coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saaiman (trainer/strength and conditioning coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital content manager), Col (retd) Muhammad Mukarram Khan (security manager), Dr Muhammad Khurram Sarwar (team doctor), Talha Ejaz (analyst) and Malang Ali (masseur).—APP
