Pakistan has announced its 15-member squad for the first Test against England, scheduled to take place in Multan starting October 7. Notably, the team has included 37-year-old spinner Noman Ali, who replaces the injured pacer Khurram Shahzad.
Noman Ali, a left-arm spinner, brings experience to the squad. He has played 15 Test matches for Pakistan, securing 47 wickets with an average of 33.53. His last appearance was against Sri Lanka in Colombo, where he achieved his career-best figures of 7 for 70, according to the ICC.
Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali, both of whom were part of the squad during the recent home Tests against Bangladesh—which Pakistan lost 2-0—have been left out for this first Test. However, both players remain in the future plans of the team.
"With a busy domestic and international cricket schedule, it makes sense to give our players some much-needed rest ahead of the Test series against England," head coach Jason Gillespie said. He added, "We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin. We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters."
All-rounder Aamer Jamal, who was sidelined during the Bangladesh Tests due to injury, is now fit to play in the first Test. He had initially been ruled out of the series against Bangladesh but was later included in the squad for the second Test, though he did not make the final playing XI.
Currently, Pakistan sits in eighth place in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 standings following their series loss to Bangladesh. The Shan Masood-led team is under pressure as they head into the first Test against England, having not won a home Test since February 2021. Their last 10 attempts in home Tests have ended without a victory, including a 3-0 series defeat to England in 2022.
Pakistan Squad for the First Test: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
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