Salman Ali Agha and Ali Usman recalled to Pakistan Test squad for Sri Lanka series in November

Pakistan have recalled Salman Ali Agha and left-arm spinner Ali Usman to their squad for the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka, with the matches scheduled in Rawalpindi from November 9 and Lahore from November 17. The fixtures form part of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and Babar Azam will continue as captain.

Both Agha and Usman were among seven players sent back to Pakistan during the team's troubled tour of England in August following the defeat at Lord's; England completed a 3-0 series sweep. Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq, who were also sent home before the end of that tour, have not been named in the Test squad.

Salman Ali Agha has returned to form in domestic and international cricket since the England tour: he scored a triple century in a first-class fixture and followed that with a hundred against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ODI tri-series. The selectors have cited his recent performances when recalling him to the Test setup.

Pakistan have included three uncapped players in the squad — Mohammad Taha, Sameer Minhas and Mohammad Suleman — after standout showings in the President's Trophy Grade I tournament. Taha amassed 730 runs in seven matches, including three centuries; Suleman recorded three hundreds and 625 runs; and Minhas scored 405 runs in his first season of first-class cricket.

Both Tests will carry WTC points, with Pakistan currently ninth and last among the nine participating teams in the standings. The side has managed just two victories against seven defeats in the current WTC cycle.

The 14-player squad named is: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Ghazi Ghori, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saud Shakeel.

The Sri Lanka series will be followed by two home Tests against New Zealand early next year, giving Pakistan one final opportunity to close out the current WTC cycle on a stronger note.