Abrar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam play second Test

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday that mystery spinners Abrar Ahmed and Kamran Ghulam had joined the Test team for the second Test against Bangladesh. The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host the second Test between the teams from August 30 to September 3.

Abrar and Kamran were released from the Test squad before the first Test and played for Pakistan Shaheens in a four-day encounter against Bangladesh ‘A’ at the Islamabad Club. On Tuesday evening, pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi rejoined the Test team after being released after the first Test. Aamir Jamal, who was released to concentrate on his fitness at the NCA, was also returned. Fitness clearance will determine his second Test participation.

Pakistan’s Shan Masood-led team played four pacers in the first Test—Shaheen, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, and Naseem Shah—but lost by 10 wickets to Bangladesh’s batting lineup. Sources say team management and senior players were unhappy with the pacers’ debut Test performance. The pacers’ diminishing pace and inability to use the pitch’s grass were discussed in the dressing room.

Naseem took three wickets and Shaheen, Shahzad, and Ali took two apiece in the first Test, however Bangladesh scored a lot of runs. After knocking Pakistan out for 148 runs in their second innings, Zakir Hasan (15) and Shadman Islam (9) helped the visitors reach the 30-run mark in 6.3 overs. Bangladesh scored 565 in their first innings before being all out, with Mushfiqur Rahim scoring 191.

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