Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket selectors, headed by former Test skipper Misbahul Haq, on Saturday recalled offspinner Bilal Asif and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf to Pakistan’s 16-member squad named for first Test against Bangladesh to be played in Rawalpindi from February 7. Asif has earned a recall at the back of his 43 wickets in nine Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches, in Central Punjab’s run to the title. Faheem has been drafted in the side due to his all-round skills that were backed by eight wickets in three Quaid-e-Azam Trophy games in addition to making 118 runs at an average of 59 and strike rate of 90.07. Six of those wickets came in the final after he had missed six successive matches because of a groin injury. An offspinner, who can turn the ball sharply and generate extra bounce, Asif has played five Tests so far, collecting 16 wickets, including a six-wicket haul on debut against Australia in Dubai in 2018. Faheem last played a Test in January 2019 in Johannesburg. Both have made comebacks in place of left-arm fingerspinner Kashif Bhatti and left-arm quick Usman Shinwari.

Batsman Fawad Alam is also part of the Test squad. The batsman, who has a 40-plus batting average in both Tests and ODIs, was also included in the squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka but did not make it to the final team. It remains to be seen if he will be included in the playing 11 in the Bangladesh Tests. Fawad played his last international Test match in November 2009. Though his international numbers are rare, his domestic statistics are outstanding which has led spectators to question why selectors have refused to include him in the national team.

Azhar Ali will captain the team while batsmen Shan Masood and Babar Azam, who starred in the Test matches against Sri Lanka in December last year, have been retained. Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Imamul Haq and Haris Sohail are also part of the squad. Bowlers Naseem Shah, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Imran Khan Senior have also been included in the team. Mohammad Rizwan has also been retained. The Pakistan team will depart for Rawalpindi on February 3, where they will fine-tune their final preparations from February 4.

“The Test team is in good shape after winning the last Test against Sri Lanka,” coach-cum-selector Misbah said. “But now we have different opponents, we haven’t made a lot of changes and have made only two changes. We went with four fast bowlers in the last Test in Pindi (Rawalpindi) and that’s why we have included an allrounder (Faheemf) if we get the same conditions.” He said Asif had been brought in because of left-handers and it gives us a different option if Pakistan needed it. “In the last series against Sri Lanka, if we consider the wicketkeeper as a batsman, we needed a bowler at No. 7 who can bat. Faheem took wickets in the final and gives you cushion to score runs too, but we consider him as a bowler. We will try to play with an experienced team in the Test matches; we have a settled batting line-up but have also have back-ups.”

Misbah added the selection committee had followed the horses for courses policy for the Test against Bangladesh. “I know the two players who have been left out will be disappointed, but they remain firmly within our plans for the red-ball cricket we are scheduled to play later this year.” After playing the first Test, Bangladesh will then return to the country in April to play a solitary ODI and the second Test, both in Karachi. The Pakistan Super League, also to be played in Pakistan in its entirety, will be played between the second and third legs of Bangladesh’s tour. The first leg included a three-match T20I series, in January, which Pakistan won 2-0, after the third match was washed out. Both Tests will be part of the ICC Test Championship, where Pakistan are currently placed fourth, with 80 points from four games.

“Following our convincing Test victory in Karachi, I don’t envisage any major changes in the playing line-up but we have tried to cover all our bases just in case the wicket has any surprises for us. We ended 2019 on a high with a victory over Sri Lanka and have made a good start to 2020 by winning the T20I series against Bangladesh. I understand the Test will be a different ball game but I am optimistic we will maintain our good form and translate that into another strong performance that will contribute significantly in the overall confidence building of the Test side. We are aiming to collect maximum points from the two upcoming ICC World
Test Championship matches against Bangladesh so that when we take the field for the Lord’s Test against England on 30 July, we are in a strong contention for a top-two finish by the end of the 2020-21 season. This is what our aspiration is and that’s what are aiming and striving for,” Misbah concluded.

Squad:

Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Bilal Asif, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan Snr, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah.