Naseem Shah returns as Pakistan announce playing 11 for 1st Test against England

Pakistan are set to host England for a 3-match Test series starting on October 7. The first Test is set to be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The 2nd Test will also be played at the same venue while the third Test will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 24.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have announced Pakistan’s playing 11 for the first Test. There are some players who have made their comeback in the Test squad. Ace pacers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah are back in the team after recovering from their injuries.

Aamer Jamal and Abrar Ahmad are also back in the squad after missing the Test series against Bangladesh. Interestingly, Pakistan lost the recently concluded 2-match Test series against Bangladesh 2-0. Pakistan skipper Shan Masood attended a press conference ahead of the match and talked about the pitch.

Also Read: Fans troll Pakistan Cricket Team after getting whitewashed at home by Bangladesh

"Multan is new territory for us. When we played Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, we had played a lot of cricket there so we knew how the pitch would play if you left grass on it. It was a bit tricky against Bangladesh for batsmen. Here we are leaving it to the groundsman. We would like one final look tomorrow, hence why we have tried to cover bases and have three seamers and two spinners like England. We have a bit of depth in batting as well." Masood said.

Pakistani bowlers to face the wrath of 'Bazball'

Pakistan’s bowling lineup would be different from what it was against Bangladesh. However, the batting lineup would be the same. But the pressure will be more on the bowlers as we all know what happened when England toured Pakistan last time. It won’t be wrong to say that the term ‘Bazball’ was originated during that series only.

Pakistan squad for 1st Test against England: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (C), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.