Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen Likely to be Rested for Test Series Against Bangladesh – Startup Pakistan

Captain Shan Masood, head coach Jason Gillespie, and the selection committee have begun discussions about Pakistan’s Test squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh in August.

They are considering resting key players from the white-ball team, such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Haris Rauf is also not being considered for this series. Among the players being looked at for the squad are Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique, Salman Ali Agha, and Sarfaraz Ahmed.

For the fast bowling lineup, the selection committee is evaluating Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mir Hamza, Khurram Shahzad, and Aamir Jamal. These bowlers are being considered to strengthen the team’s pace attack.

This Test series against Bangladesh is part of the ICC World Test Championship for the 2023-2025 cycle. It marks Jason Gillespie’s first assignment as head coach and will be Shan Masood’s second series as captain.

The selection discussions are crucial as they aim to balance the team by providing rest to some key players while also giving opportunities to emerging talents. The goal is to create a strong and competitive squad that can perform well in the Test series against Bangladesh. This approach will also help manage player workloads and maintain their fitness for future matches.