The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday unveiled a 16-member squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh, with Shan Masood retained as captain. The series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle.
According to the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the matches will be staged in Dhaka and Sylhet. The opening Test will be played from May 8 to 12 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, while the second Test is scheduled from May 16 to 20 in Sylhet.
The squad includes four uncapped players Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori reflecting Pakistan’s intent to blend emerging talent with experienced campaigners in the red-ball format.
Several players, including Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Noman Ali, and Sajid Khan, are currently part of the ongoing red-ball training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
The squad will assemble in Karachi on April 27 for a preparatory camp running until May 1, before departing for Bangladesh on May 2. Players involved in the ongoing PSL XI season will join the camp once their commitments conclude, while those reaching the final will directly travel to Bangladesh after the tournament.
In a key development, the PCB has appointed former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as head coach for the tour. Sarfaraz, who led Pakistan to the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 title, has also recently guided the Pakistan U19 team to success in the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup as mentor/manager.
Former international cricketers Asad Shafiq and Umar Gul have been assigned as batting and bowling coaches, respectively. Shafiq amassed 6,188 runs in 147 international matches, while Umar Gul claimed 427 wickets in 237 appearances across formats.
Squad:
Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Team Management:
Naveed Akram Cheema (manager), Sarfaraz Ahmed (head coach), Asad Shafiq (batting coach), Umar Gul (bowling coach), Abdul Saad (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength & conditioning coach), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media manager), Lt. Col. (r) Usman Anwari (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor), and Muhammad Ehsan (masseur).
