Pakistan's fast-bowling allrounder Aamer Jamal has been ruled out of the two-Test series against Bangladesh, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Monday.
With just two days before the series opener in Rawalpindi, Pakistan announced their playing XI. Saim Ayub, who made his Test debut against Australia at the SCG in January, will retain his spot as the opener. The selectors opted for continuity with Ayub, meaning that Muhammad Hurraira will have to wait for his international debut.
Hurraira, aged 22, has been a prolific scorer in domestic cricket and recently made headlines by scoring 218 against a Bangladesh High Performance XI in a four-day match in Darwin.
Saud Shakeel has been named vice-captain, while Naseem Shah returns to the XI for his first Test since July 2023. Jamal, who had been included in the squad pending a fitness clearance, was already likely to miss the first Test starting August 21 in Rawalpindi due to an incomplete recovery from a back injury. It has now been confirmed that he will also miss the second Test, which begins on August 30.
Jamal, who was Pakistan's leading wicket-taker in the 2023-24 away series in Australia with 18 wickets in three Tests, has been struggling with lower back issues since May this year. The injury not only affected but also cut short his multi-format stint with Warwickshire in England, and he last participated in competitive cricket in June. Originally the sole seam-bowling all-rounder in the squad, Jamal's absence leaves Pakistan with 14 players for the first Test, as Abrar Ahmed and Kamran Ghulam were also released to play for the Shaheens. Pakistan is expected to field an all-seam attack, with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mir Hamza, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Ali as the other quicks in the squad.
Jamal will now focus on recovering his fitness at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, aiming to return in time for the Test series against England in October.
Pakistan XI for the first Test against Bangladesh:
1. Abdullah Shafique
2. Saim Ayub
3. Shan Masood (captain)
4. Babar Azam
5. Saud Shakeel (vice-captain)
6. Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper)
7. Salman Ali Agha
8. Shaheen Shah Afridi
9. Naseem Shah
10. Khurram Shahzad
11. Mohammad Ali