Pakistan name reshuffled squad for third England Test, seven players released
Pakistan announced their squad for the third and final Test against England, to be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham from September 09, after a significant reshuffle that saw seven players released.
England hold a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, having won the opening Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs and the second at Lord’s by 194 runs, a run of results the report says exposes problems for the Babar Azam-led side with both batting and team balance; Pakistan will seek to avoid a 3-0 sweep and finish the tour with a better showing.
The Pakistan selection named Saim Ayub and Abdullah Faza among the additions. Saim Ayub is described as a left-handed opener who has been playing in the Caribbean Premier League and recently scored his maiden CPL century, and his return is noted as providing another option at the top of the order.
The squad announcement also included Razaullah Khan, Mohammad Imran, Arafat Minhas and Ubaid Shah. The report specifies that Razaullah and Imran are fast bowlers, while Minhas is a left-arm spinner and bowling all-rounder.
Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha do not feature in the officially announced 16-member squad for the third Test. The report states all three have struggled to make a big impact during the Test matches; Rizwan managed only 61 runs across his four innings in the first two Tests, Agha "has also not been doing well," and Imam’s situation is linked to a calf injury, with the opener not batting in either innings of the Lord’s Test after being listed as "Absent Hurt."
The 16-member squad named in the announcement is: Babar Azam (Captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Ghazi Ghori, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Ubaid Shah.
With England already leading 2-0, Pakistan will be looking to improve their performance and end this series on a positive note; the report adds that the addition of several new faces could bring fresh energy to the side, but the visitors will need much stronger batting performances if they want to challenge England. The third Test is scheduled to begin on September 09 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.