The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced a 12-man squad for the Green Team’s second Test match against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan cricket’s nightmarish slide continued on Sunday, when Bangladesh recorded their first-ever Test triumph over the hosts, taking the opening fixture of the two-match series with a clinical 10-wicket win.
A brilliant 191 by veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim on a flat Rawalpindi pitch helped the visitors rack up their highest-ever total against Pakistan of 565 to take a crucial 117-run first-innings lead.
The defeat marked Pakistan’s second upset loss this year after the T20 international shock against the USA, raising questions over their standing as a red-ball side — which has now lost four of their six fixtures of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle — as well.
Pakistan went into the match — at the back of a head-to-head record of 12 wins out of 13 matches — pumped with the ambition of making next year’s WTC final, intending to dismantle Bangladesh with an all-pace bowling attack, only to find themselves clueless against the visitors’ spinners on the fifth day.
The side recalled leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed on Wednesday for the second Test against Bangladesh after their decision to play an all-pace attack on a slow track backfired in the series opener
Spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4-21) and Shakib Al Hasan (3-44) rocked the hosts and made them rue not playing a frontline spinner.
Abrar, who has 38 wickets from six tests, was subsequently added to the squad.
In a post on X today, PCB announced its 12-man squad for the second Test.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was released from the squad after the conclusion of the first Test, was rested whereas pacer Mir Hamza and Abrar returned to the side for the second match.
Pakistan’s head coach Jason Gillespie said Afridi would be rested to allow him to spend time with his newborn son and family.
“Obviously Shaheen will miss out on this game. We had a good conversation with him and he fully understands and appreciates the thinking behind it. We are just looking at what our best combination is for this game,” Gillespie said.
Gillespie admitted it will be a challenge to square the series.
“We want to go out there and play positive,” said Gillespie, who is in his first series with Pakistan.
“It’s about scoring lots of singles and with our bowling, we want to be ruthless and challenge the opposition batters.”
But he backed under-pressure skipper Shan Masood who failed with the bat with six and 14 in the first match and has lost all four of his Tests as captain.
“Shan is a very positive captain,” said Gillespie.
“He wants to play and win games […] we showed that with our intent in the first game but it didn’t quite work out and that’s credit to our opposition.
“That game is gone, but what we can do is focus on the game starting tomorrow.”
‘Morale very good’
Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe was confident his side could recreate their heroics from the first Test.
“The morale of the players is very, very good,” said former Sri Lankan batsman Hathurusinghe.
“Obviously beating Pakistan in Pakistan is not an easy task,” adding that the second game would be a big challenge.
“They are a very strong team and we expect a very good fight in the second Test as well but we will not be different from the first game and know our strength as well as that of Pakistan’s.”
Since gaining Test status in 2000, Bangladesh have only won two of their 32 overseas series with wins in the West Indies (2009) and Zimbabwe (2021), drawing three and losing 27.
Bangladesh’s pace attack will be boosted by the return of experienced Taskin Ahmed who recovered from a shoulder injury but will have a tie with Nahid Rana for a place in the eleven.
Intermittent rain and bad weather in Rawalpindi prevented both teams from having a practice session.
Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha.