Tag: Pakistan vs Bangladesh

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday, announced the star-studded commentary panel for the upcoming two-match Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Aamir Sohail, Athar Ali Khan, Bazid Khan, Nick Compton and Urooj Mumtaz will be on the commentary panel, while Sikander Bakht will be the presenter.

The commentary panel features renowned voices including Aamir Sohail, Athar Ali Khan, Bazid Khan, Nick Compton and Urooj Mumtaz. Meanwhile, Sikander Bakht will be the presenter during the course of the two-match Test series.

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The series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, with the first Test commencing at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 21-25 August.

Following that, the action will shift to the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, where the second Test match will be held from 30 August to 3 September.

Squads

Pakistan

Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Bangladesh

Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed

READ: Champions Trophy 2025: National Stadium Karachi’s new design unveiled

Pakistan star batter Babar Azam was recently seen having a hard time facing the Test pacer Khurram Shahzad during a practice session ahead of the Bangladesh series.

Babar has been facing criticism recently due to his lacklustre batting displays in all forms of cricket. Over his last six Test matches, he has only been able to accumulate 253 runs in 11 innings, with a highest score of just 41.

He is determined to rediscover his form during the upcoming Bangladesh Tests, which are set to commence on 21 April. However, Khurram Shahzad gave him a tough time in the nets.

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During a recent training session in Pakistan, a video captured the moment when Babar Azam was hit in the groin by Khurram Shahzad’s delivery.

The star batter appeared to be in some discomfort as Khurram reached out to him, asking if he was fine. After taking a moment to recover and performing some stretches, Babar returned to his practice.

However, Khurram subsequently bowled an unplayable delivery that Babar failed to make contact with, resulting in the ball striking his stumps.

The Test series will commence in Rawalpindi, with the first Test scheduled to begin on 21 August. Following that, the action will shift to the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, where the second Test match will be held from 30 August to 3 September.

Pakistan squad for Test series against Bangladesh

Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi

READ: Ex-Pakistan batter blasts ICC, labels them as Babar Azam’s enemy

Pakistan’s Test head coach Jason Gillespie debunked claims of selecting only one specialist spinner Abrar Ahmed for the upcoming two-match home series against Bangladesh, commencing on August 21.

Gillespie emphasized that the Pakistan squad looks well-balanced and termed Abrar as a promising young talent before going on to assert claiming Salman Ali Agha as a specialist spinner as well.

“You can look into whatever you want. But to start, I think we’ve got two special spinners. Salman Ali Agha is good enough to be classified as a specialist spinner. From what I’ve seen, he has a lot of potential with his off-spin. Abrar (Ahmed), obviously, is a fine young bowler in the early stages of his career,” stated Gillespie.

Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie then went on to claim that the squad has its all bases covered and also that it is an exciting time for the national team.

“So, I think we’ve covered a lot of bases. We have a lot of seam bowling options and spin bowling options. Our batting is varied as well. I believe we have all bases covered, and it’s a very exciting time for the Pakistan Test side,” Jason Gillespie added.

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According to the sources, the pitch of the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, is expected to have some grass on it and thus would be favourable for the pacers.

Consequently, Pakistan would likely go with four pacers Mir Hamza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah and fourth would be either Aamer Jamal or Khurram Shehzad while Abrar Ahmed and Salman Ali Agha would form the spin attack.

“A grassy pitch is being prepared for the Rawalpindi Test,” Abrar confirmed earlier today.

“I took wickets on grassy pitches in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy,” he added.

Pakistan squad for Test series against Bangladesh

Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: “Management’s call,” Abrar Ahmed on playing in Bangladesh Tests

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s rising spinner Abrar Ahmed on Thursday, opened up on the prospect of representing the national team in the upcoming two-match home series against Bangladesh.

Abrar, at a press conference held here at Pindi Cricket Stadium, days ahead of the Test series opener between Pakistan and Bangladesh, emphasized that his role was to work hard while the team management would decide whether he would be a part of the Playing XI.

“My job is to work hard, the management has to decide whether to field me or not,” said Abrar.

Abrar Ahmed also revealed his plans to emerge as the top spinner of the national team amid fierce competition, posed by Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan.

“Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan are all very skilful. I got the opportunity to learn from them,” said Abrar.

“I worked more on my mystery delivery and I aim to become the top spinner of the team,” he added.

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The mystery spinner also commented on the prospect of making it to the Pakistan squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be held in Pakistan in February-March.

“The selection committee will decide whether I will play Champions Trophy games or not,” said Abrar.

The two-match Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh will commence in Rawalpindi, with the first Test scheduled to begin on 21 August.

Following that, the action will shift to the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, where the second Test match will be held from 30 August to 3 September.

Pakistan squad for Test series against Bangladesh

Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: ECB delegation visits National Stadium for security review

Pakistan is gearing up for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh and sources have disclosed the batting position for the star batter, Babar Azam, on Thursday.

Babar is set to play at number four, the position where he played during Pakistan’s last Test series against Australia in December-January.

The sources further revealed that Abdullah Shafique will continue as the opener, however, Saim Ayub, who made his debut in Pakistan’s last Test, might not make it into the playing XI.

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The uncapped batting prodigy Mohammad Huraira is a strong candidate to replace Saim, owing to his recent form with Pakistan Shaheens. Meanwhile, captain Shan Masood will continue at his number three position.

The source also shared that Mir Hamza will play as the third seamer beside experienced Shaheen Shah Afridi and returning pace sensation Naseem Shah.

The Test series will commence in Rawalpindi, with the first Test scheduled to begin on 21 August. Following that, the action will shift to the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, where the second Test match will be held from 30 August to 3 September.

Pakistan squad for Test series against Bangladesh

Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to Fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Shaheen Shah Afridi

READ: Mushtaq Ahmed backs Bangladesh spinners ahead of Pakistan Tests

LAHORE: Mushtaq Ahmed has expressed his support for the spin bowlers of the Bangladesh cricket team, highlighting their potential as match-winners ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan.

The Test series will commence in Rawalpindi, with the first Test scheduled to begin on 21 August. Following that, the action will shift to the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, where the second Test match will be held from 30 August to 3 September.

During a press conference here on Thursday, Mushtaq, who is the spin-bowling consultant of Bangladesh, shared that the team combination will be decided after assessing the conditions in Rawalpindi.

“We will decide the combination after going to Rawalpindi and assessing the conditions there,” said Mushtaq Ahmed.

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“Spinners have an important role in Test cricket, their importance cannot be denied.”

The former Pakistan leg-spinner heaped high praise on Bangladesh’s spinners and the country’s overall bowling talent.

“Bangladesh’s spinners are a vital cog in their lineup and they are genuine match-winners. The good thing is that the country is producing good bowlers,” he added.

“If the condition is favourable for fast bowlers, we have good pacers too.”

He also expressed gratitude towards the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for extending an invitation to the visiting team to arrive early and engage in practice sessions ahead of the series, especially in light of the political turmoil in Bangladesh.

READ: Jay Shah breaks silence on India visiting Pakistan for Champions Trophy

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday, unveiled the Team Management for the upcoming two-match home Test series against Bangladesh, featuring newly-appointed Naveed Akram Cheema.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the cricketing body has decided to appoint Cheema as the team manager.

Cheema served as the team manager on the tour of Australia and New Zealand from December 2023 to January 2024.

However, following the twin tours, he was replaced by Mansoor Rana as the team manager, while Wahab Riaz was appointed as the senior team manager for the series.

Following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Wahab and Mansoor were relieved of their managerial duties due to their reported failure to maintain discipline within the team.

Naveed Akram Cheema is set to resume his role as the new manager of the Pakistan cricket team, specifically to enforce strict discipline measures.

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The newly formed Pakistan team management further features head coach Jason Gillespie and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood.

Drikus Saaimon will serve as the Strength and Conditioning Coach while Tim Neilsen was named the High-Performance coach.

Former South Africa cricketer Cliffe Deacon will continue to serve as the physio, while Talha Butt was named the analyst.

Pakistan team management further features security manager Irtiza Kumail while Nazeer Ahmed will serve as the media manager.

The upcoming series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, with the first Test commencing at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 21-25 August.

The second Test match will be played at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 30 August to 3 September.

READ: Morne Morkel named as bowling coach of India

Red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie has extended a heartfelt invitation to Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem to visit the Pakistan cricket team’s dressing room.

Arshad made history at the recently concluded Paris Olympics as he became the first Pakistani to win an individual Olympic Gold medal.

In the final of the Men’s Javelin Throw, Arshad shocked the world with his massive throw of 92.97m, the new Olympic record, which was enough for him to seal the Gold medal.

Gillespie, during an appearance on the PCB podcast, invited Arshad to the dressing room, while expressing admiration for the athlete.

“We would love to invite Arshad Nadeem to the dressing room as well. I saw all the Shaheens cheering him on during the Olympics,” said Gillespie.

“Having him visit and share his gold medal with the team would be a fantastic boost, especially with the Olympic spirit still in the air. It was a wonderful moment, and we extend an open invitation for him to visit the dressing room,” he added.

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Pakistan captain Shan Masood, who was also present on the podcast, expressed pride in Arshad’s historic achievement.

“Arshad Nadeem has made us all emotional. Seeing him on the podium waving the flag and ringing the Olympic bell was incredible,” said Masood.

“He deserves all the recognition he’s getting and is a national hero. His achievements highlight the talent in Pakistan, and we’re all proud of him,” he added.

Notably, the upcoming series between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be the first assignment of Jason Gillespie as the red-ball head coach.

The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, with the first Test commencing at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 21-25 August.

The second Test match will be played at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 30 August to 3 September.

READ: Pakistan, Bangladesh to play Karachi Test without spectators

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced that the second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh, scheduled in Karachi, will be played without spectators.

The second Test is scheduled to be played from 30 August to 3 September, however, due to the ongoing construction work in the National Bank Stadium, the match will be played with empty stands.

“In light of ongoing construction work at the National Bank Stadium as part of preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made the difficult decision to hold the second Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, scheduled from 30 August to 3 September, without spectators in attendance,” the cricket board said in a statement.

“We understand the vital role that our passionate spectators play in cricket, providing inspiration and motivation to our players.

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“However, the health and safety of our fans is our utmost priority. After careful consideration of all available options, we have decided that the safest course of action is to hold the second Test in front of an empty stadium.”

The PCB also announced that the ticket sales have been stopped, however, the fans, who have already grabbed their passes will get a refund.

“As a result of this decision, ticket sales have been suspended with immediate effect. Fans who have already purchased tickets will receive a full refund automatically, with the amount credited to the account details provided at the time of purchase.

“While we deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause, we want to assure our valued fans that the ongoing stadium upgrades are aimed at enhancing their experience.

“The renovations are part of our commitment to making the venue more spectator-friendly and preparing it for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be the first ICC event hosted in Pakistan since 1996.”

READ: Jason Gillespie invites Arshad Nadeem to visit Pakistan dressing room

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali offered a piece of advice to Test captain Shan Masood ahead of the two-match home series against Bangladesh.

The two-match series, part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), will run from August 21 to September 3 at Rawalpindi and Karachi respectively.

The series against Bangladesh will mark Shan Masood’s second assignment as Pakistan captain, having previously led the national team away in Australia.

His start to Pakistan’s Test captaincy was far from ideal as the national team succumbed to a 0-3 series whitewash.

Meanwhile, Basit Ali, on his YouTube channel, shared his insights on the upcoming series and advised Shan Masood to change his batting order.

“Shan Masood sahab, stop playing at No. 3. When I saw you for the first time, I gave you the advice that the bat’s length should be long. Today, I am giving you the advice to stop playing at No. 3. You should open the batting in all three formats. If you come at No. 3, you will harm yourself and Pakistan,” Basit Ali said.

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Basit Ali then went on to criticize Shan Masood for giving examples from his time with Yorkshire ahead of leading his team in a crucial series.

“He gave an example of Yorkshire in his press conference. He spoke about how rain is a factor there, and Joe Root and Harry Brook are also part of that team. I just want to say two things to Shan Masood. You are the captain of Pakistan, not Yorkshire,” Basit said.

“Do not give their example; give examples of players of your country. Speak about how you have players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah. Give your example. Don’t give the example of the Kookaburra ball because there is a big difference in our pitches and their [England’s] pitches.”

READ: Arshad Nadeem shares he received offers to represent UK, Turkiye