Pakistan has announced a 15 member squad for the 1st Test against England, which will be played in Multan from October 7. The team includes left arm spinner Noman Ali, who will make his return to Test cricket in the ICC World Test Championship series against England.

Noman Ali Replaces Injured Bowler

The 37-year-old spinner, who last played a Test in 2023, replaces injured fast bowler Khurram Shahzad. Ali has previously played 15 Test matches, taking 47 wickets at an average of 33.53. In his last Test appearance against Sri Lanka in Colombo, Ali delivered his best bowling performance with figures of 7 for 70.

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Squad Changes and Player Fitness Updates

Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Ali, who were part of the squad for the Tests against Bangladesh, have not been included for the first Test but remain in future plans. Head coach Jason Gillespie explained, “With a busy domestic and international schedule, it’s important to give players some rest before the series against England.“

England Squad Updates

England has also announced its squad, with Ben Stokes returning and two uncapped players set to make their debut during the Pakistan tour. “We are excited to play in front of our fans here in Pakistan,” said a team representative.

Aamer Jamal Returns

Aamer Jamal, who missed the Bangladesh Tests due to injury, is fit and ready to play the first Test. Although he was named in the squad for the second Test against Bangladesh, he wasn’t part of the final playing XI.

Pakistan’s Test Championship Standings

Pakistan is currently ranked eighth in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 standings following their series loss to Bangladesh. The team, led by Shan Masood, is under pressure as they haven’t won a home Test since February 2021, losing their last 10 home matches, including a 3-0 series defeat to England in 2022.

Back-to-back Test wins for Sri Lanka sees them soar to the third spot on the #WTC25 Standings 😎

More ➡️ https://t.co/nGxfWhYL3j pic.twitter.com/8JpYtSqHCA
— ICC (@ICC) September 23, 2024

Pakistan Squad for 1st Test

Captain: Shan Masood
Vice-Captain: Saud Shakeel
Other Players: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

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