Sahibzada Farhan-led Pakistan Shaheens will take on Bangladesh ‘A’ in first of the two four-day matches in Darwin, Australia, on Friday. The second four-day match will commence next Friday (26 July), which will be followed by two One-Day matches on 4 and 6 August, and then the nine-team Top End T20 series from 9-18 August. This is the first time since 2008 the two development sides of Pakistan and Bangladesh will play against each other. Sixteen years ago, the Pakistan Academy side had toured Bangladesh and won both matches by eight wickets against Bangladesh Academy. Pakistan Shaheens arrived in Darwin on 15 July after undergoing a six-day intensive training camp at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi under the supervision of Pakistan men’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie. This will be Pakistan Shaheen’s third red-ball series in as many years, having toured Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for a two four-day matches each in 2021 and 2023, respectively. On the last red-ball tour to Zimbabwe, Mehran Mumtaz was the standout bowler with 15 wickets, while Omair bin Yousuf had racked up 348 runs. Among the current squad, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Omair bin Yousuf and Shahnawaz Dahani have previously represented the Shaheens in red-ball cricket, while Ali, Khurram and Umar have also featured in Test matches for Pakistan. The two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin will be pivotal for the players as these will provide the much-needed experience and exposure to them ahead of a busy red-ball season, which includes Tests against Bangladesh, England, South Africa and West Indies from August 2024 to January 2025. Sahibzada Farhan, Pakistan Shaheens captain said: “I’m delighted to be leading the Pakistan Shaheens side in the series and I look forward to an exciting challenge which the Bangladesh ‘A’ team poses in what will be new playing conditions for us. “The team has prepared very well in the Karachi camp and the training sessions in Darwin have been helpful in acclimatising to the conditions. The presence of Jason Gillespie is a huge boost for the talented bunch of players and we are eager to prove our mettle in both the four-day matches.” Pakistan Shaheens squad: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir and Umar Amin. Bangladesh ‘A’ squad: Mahmudul Hasan Joy (captain), Aich Mollah, Amite Hasan, Ariful Islam, Hasan Murad, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Maruf Mridha, Md Mukidul Islam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Rakibul Hasan, Rezaur Rehman Raja, Ripon Mondal, Sahadat Hossain Dipu, Shadaman Islam, Sk Pervez Rahman Jobon.