Young pacer withdrawn from Shaheens’ squad ahead of four-day match versus Bangladesh ‘A’

Young pacer Sameen Gul has been withdrawn from the Pakistan Shaheens squad as a precautionary measure ahead of their first four-day match against Bangladesh 'A,' scheduled to take place at Islamabad Club from August 13 to 16.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that a replacement for Sameen will be named soon.

Both Pakistan Shaheens and Bangladesh 'A' have included several players who will participate in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship fixtures, to be held in Rawalpindi and Karachi from August 21-25 and August 30-September 3, respectively.

Among the Pakistan Shaheens, test probables include Saud Shakeel (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, and Sarfaraz Ahmed. On the Bangladesh 'A' side, players such as Hasan Mahmud, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nayeem Hasan, and Zakir Hasan will join the Test squad following the four-day match.

Saud Shakeel, who was recently appointed Pakistan’s Test vice-captain and has prior experience leading the Shaheens in a red-ball series against Sri Lanka ‘A’ in October-November 2021, will captain the home side in the first match. Anamul Haque, with 74 international appearances for Bangladesh, will lead Bangladesh 'A.'

The second four-day match will also take place at the Islamabad Club from August 20 to 23. The two teams recently played a two-match series in Darwin, Australia, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Pakistan Shaheens squad (for first four-day match):  Saud Shakeel (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Mohammad Huraira, Naseem Shah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Saad Khan, Saim Ayub, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Umar Amin