Pakistan name squad for 2nd and 3rd England Tests

The team for Pakistan's cricket selectors' second and third Test matches against England, which are scheduled for October 15 and 24, respectively, in Multan and Rawalpindi, has been revealed.

The selection committee has opted to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Shah Afridi due to their current form and fitness as well as their future duties for Pakistan in the 2024–25 international cricket season. Abrar Ahmed was not eligible for selection since he was recuperating from dengue disease.

The four players have been replaced by the uncapped Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Kamran Ghulam, off-spinner Sajid Khan, and fast bowler Mohammad Ali. The 16-player roster also includes Noman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were released after being a part of the first Test squad.

Squad (for Tests 2 and 3):

The captain is Shan Masood, the vice-captain is Saud Shakeel, the wicket-keeper is Haseebullah, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, and Zahid Mehmood.

Aqib Javed, national selection committee member for men:

"The selectors have faced a difficult assignment in choosing the team for the forthcoming Test match against England. We have had to carefully weigh Pakistan's tough 2024–25 international schedule, the need to win the series, and the current form of the players. We have decided to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Shah Afridi in the best interests of Pakistan cricket as well as the players.

"We are sure that these players will recover their strength, self-assurance, and poise during their hiatus from international cricket, enabling them to return in peak condition for upcoming challenges. They still have a lot more to offer Pakistani cricket, and they are among our best players. We really believe that we will help them get through this time so they may return even stronger.

"At the same time, we are providing chances to players who do not yet have caps, such as Mohammad Ali, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood, Haseebullah, and Mehran Mumtaz. They now have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities against a strong England team. We think they'll step up to the plate and take full advantage of this chance in the next two Tests.

Maaz Sadaqat and Rohail Nazir have taken the places of Haseebullah and Mehran Mumtaz, who were a member of the Pakistan Shaheens team for the ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup. The competition is scheduled to begin on October 18 in Oman.