Babar Azam says Pakistan Test squad ready to fight against Sri Lanka

Pakistan captain Babar Azam said his overhauled Test squad is ready to fight against Sri Lanka in the first Test beginning in Rawalpindi on Monday, speaking at a press conference on Sunday after Pakistan’s 3-0 whitewash in England.

The two-match series is Pakistan’s first since that defeat and is part of the World Test Championship’s fourth cycle, with Pakistan ninth and last and Sri Lanka seventh. The second Test begins in Lahore on November 17.

Squad changes

Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were sacked in a September overhaul, with white-ball coach Mike Hesson brought into the Test set-up.

Only Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal have been recalled from the seven players sent home after the second Test in England, with five of the 11 who played in the final Test at Edgbaston also dropped.

Senior wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, former skipper Shan Masood and the spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali all missed out.

Batters Mohammad Taha, Saad Baig, Tayyab Arif and Sameer Minhas, along with pace bowlers Saqib Khan and Ali Shabbir, were all included for the first time.

Babar Azam form

Azam said he was ready to fight with the young players and hopes to revive his batting form after 40 Test innings without a century. His last Test ton came against New Zealand in Karachi in December 2022. He said he had played a few domestic matches and believed the more he played, the more he would improve, adding that he was confident. Azam was reappointed skipper in July.

Sri Lanka leadership

Sri Lanka is also undergoing a Test reboot, with white-ball skipper Kusal Mendis taking over as captain from Dhananjaya de Silva last month. Mendis said it was exciting and he was happy to lead the side, adding that Sri Lanka had an experienced batting line-up and was ready for the challenge.

Full squads

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Abbas, Ghazi Ghori, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Tayyab Arif, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Salman Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saqib Khan. Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (captain), Lahiru Udara, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sonal Dinusha, Dhananjaya de Silva, Anjala Bandara, Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayaka, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga.

Pakistan Test squad

Related on Apex Sports News

• PCB adds Aamir Jamal and three uncapped players to Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka Tests

• Chamari Athapaththu omitted from Sri Lanka women's Emerging Nations squad

• Mohammed Shami retires from Test cricket

Sources

• Hindustan Times

• Sportstar

• Photo: Nazly Ahmed, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)