LAHORE: Pakistan revealed their playing XI for the second Test against England, which starts on Tuesday (tomorrow). Kamran Ghulam will make his debut, taking the field after Pakistan included him in the lineup following Babar Azam’s exclusion from the series.
Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Zahid Mehmood will also play in the second Test. Pakistan rested key players like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Sarfaraz Ahmed, while Abrar Ahmad cannot participate due to illness.
This announcement follows the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) unveiling of a 16-member squad the previous day. The lineup notably leaves out Babar, Shaheen, and Naseem, who have been rested along with Sarfaraz Ahmed, the wicketkeeper-batter, whom the board released from the team.
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Pakistan’s Defeat
Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat in the first Test, losing by an innings and 47 runs to England. Despite this, the PCB has defended its decision to rest top players, citing the need to allow them recovery time to return refreshed for upcoming challenges.
A PCB spokesperson explained that this decision was made with the best interests of Pakistan cricket in mind. The spokesperson added that selecting the squad for the remainder of the series was challenging due to the need to balance players’ form, the urgency to bounce back from the first defeat, and the heavy international schedule that lies ahead for Pakistan in 2024-25.
The second Test will be held at the Multan Cricket Stadium, the same venue as the first match. The third and final match of the series will take place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 24.
The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.
Pakistan’s Playing XI for the Second Test:
Shan Masood (c)
Saim Ayub
Abdullah Shafique
Kamran Ghulam
Saud Shakeel
Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
Salman Ali Agha
Aamir Jamal
Noman Ali
Sajid Khan
Zahid Mehmood
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