Pakistan's Test head coach, Jason Gillespie, has addressed the contentious issue of Kamran Ghulam's exclusion from the national squad for the upcoming first Test of the three-match series against England in Multan from 7-11 October.

Ghulam, a consistent performer in domestic cricket, was surprisingly overlooked for the England Tests despite his strong form. While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) cited the need for consistency and continuity in their selection policy, fans and experts questioned the decision.

“Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali, who were part of the squad for the Bangladesh Tests, remain firmly in the selectors’ plans,” PCB said in a statement.

“However, due to the selection policy’s emphasis on consistency and continuity, and the belief that 15 players are sufficient for a Test, they have been advised and encouraged to continue representing their teams in the Champions One-Day Cup and the President’s Cup, starting on 3 October, to ensure they stay match-ready through competitive cricket,” the statement added.

During the Champions One-Day Cup commentary, Salman Butt questioned Ghulam's exclusion from the Test squad, to which Gillespie acknowledged Ghulam's strong performances but affirmed faith in the current squad.

"I saw him [Kamran Ghulam] perform with Pakistan Shaheens in Darwin," Gillespie said. "His form has been acknowledged, but we're showing faith and patience in our current squad."

It is worth noting that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming series opener against England, who had earlier revealed their squad for the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.

Pakistan squad for first Test against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

England squad for Pakistan Test series: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.