Lahore: After the defeat to South Africa, the national team is now ready for a Test cricket series with the West Indies at home, and the possible squad has been revealed.
Two Test matches between the West Indies and Pakistan will be played at the Multan Stadium, for which the visiting team has arrived in Pakistan two days ago.
Who can be in and out in the squad?
Saim Ayub, who suffered an ankle injury in the Test match against South Africa, will not be seen in action in this series as doctors have advised him to take complete rest for 6 weeks.
There is a strong possibility of Abdullah Shafiq replacing Saim in the series against the West Indies.
Captain Shan will form Pakistan’s top order along with Masood Shafiq and Babar Azam, who played brilliant innings in the South Africa tour.
In addition, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha will be included in the middle order.
It is being speculated that Salman Ali Agha will take full advantage of the home ground and pitch in the series against the West Indies, however, it is also possible that Salman Ali Agha will be given a chance to rest due to the Champions Trophy and Qasim Akram will be given a place in the squad in his place.
No place for Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah?
While Shaheen Afridi has been ruled out of the Tests due to workload management, his long-time partner Naseem Shah may also be overlooked for the upcoming West Indies series.
The right-arm fast bowler was dropped from the XI for the second Test against South Africa after a poor performance in the series opener at SuperSport Park.
Mohammad Abbas, who bowled brilliantly in South Africa, is likely to retain his place in the team.
The purpose of giving Naseem Shah a chance to rest in the Test against the West Indies is to focus on the Champions Trophy. The PCB may decide to take over his workload and keep him fresh for the tri-series and Champions Trophy next month.
In the absence of Shaheen and Naseem, Mir Hamza and Khurram Shahzad are likely to lead Pakistan’s pace battery with the in-form Mohammad Abbas.
Meanwhile, the strong spin bowling pair of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali will lead the spin department after playing a key role in Pakistan’s historic victory in the home series in England.
Pakistan’s probable squad for the West Indies Test
Shaan Masood (C), Abdullah Shafiq, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Agha Salman, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Khurram Shahzad, Haseebullah Khan (WK), Mohammad Hurairah, Qasim Akram
