Saud Shakeel Appointed Vice Captain As Naseem Shah Returns For Bangladesh Test Series

Naseem Shah is set to return to red-ball cricket, and Saud Shakeel has been appointed as the new vice-captain under Shan Masood. Pakistan announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming two-match home Test series against Bangladesh on Tuesday, August 7.

Shakeel's promotion to vice-captain replaces Shaheen Afridi, who has been advised by selectors to manage his workload. Pakistan's cricket team has a busy schedule ahead, with nine Tests, 14 T20Is, and at least 17 ODIs lined up until April next year.

Regular opener Imam-ul-Haq was dropped from the squad. Injured pacers Hasan Ali and Mohammad Wasim Jnr were also not considered for selection. However, all-rounder Aamir Jamal has been included but will only play if fit.

Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan are notable absentees from the squad selected by head coach Jason Gillespie. This series marks Gillespie's first assignment with the team.

Pakistan has recalled pacer Mohammad Ali after a long hiatus from Test cricket. Batters Mohammad Huraira and Kamran Ghulam have received their first call-ups at the Test level following impressive domestic performances.

Apart from Naseem Shah, 13 of the 17 players selected were part of Pakistan's recent Test series in Australia over the New Year. The fresh faces for the two matches against Bangladesh include Huraira, Ghulam, Ali, and Naseem.

Pakistan Squad for Test Series Against Bangladesh

The squad includes Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), and Shaheen Afridi.

Series Schedule

• First Test: Rawalpindi, August 21-25
• Second Test: Karachi, August 30 - September 3

The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship and will start in Rawalpindi on August 21. The second Test will be held in Karachi from August 30.

Pakistan currently ranks fifth in the standings and aims for positive results against Bangladesh to stay close to the top four teams: India, Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.

This announcement brings several surprises as Pakistan prepares for their first Test series under head coach Jason Gillespie with a new-look squad.