The decision has been made after the selectors have opted to go with an all-pace attack in the first ICC World Test Championship match against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, 21 August.
“Instead of benching him for the Test, the selectors named him in the Shaheens squad so that he can gain some match practice ahead of the second Test, which will start in Karachi on 30 August,” stated PCB.
Uncapped top-order batter Kamran Ghulam is the other player to be released from the Pakistan Test side and has been retained in the Pakistan Shaheens side for the second four-day match. He has also been appointed as the captain.
This means the Pakistan Test squad has been trimmed to 15 players, but will be back to its original 17-player strength after the conclusion of the second four-day match when Abrar Ahmed and Kamran Ghulam will rejoin the side for the Karachi Test against Bangladesh.
Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Saud Shakeel, who were part of the Pakistan Shaheen side, have now joined the Test side, while Mohammad Rameez Jnr has been left out for the second four-day match.
These eight players have been replaced in the Shaheens side by Abrar Ahmed, Ali Zaryab Asif, Awais Anwar, Imam Ul Haq, Niaz Khan, Qasim Akram, Rohail Nazir, and Sharoon Siraj.
Pakistan Shaheens squad (for second four-day) – Kamran Ghulam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ali Zaryab, Ghulam Mudassar, Imam-ul-Haq, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Awais Anwar, Niaz Khan, Qasim Akram, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Saad Khan, Sharoon Siraj and Umar Amin.