The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently announced the 15-member Test squad for Pakistan’s upcoming series against the West Indies. The two-match series, part of the ICC World Test Championship, will be played in Multan, with matches scheduled from 17 to 21 January and 25 to 29 January 2025.
This series is going to be crucial for Pakistan, and the squad changes reflect a calculated approach to improve the team’s performance and balance for this challenge.
Squad Overview
The 15-man squad for the West Indies series includes a mix of experienced players and young talent. The team is led by Shaan Masood while Saud Shakeel is the vice-captain. Pakistan’s squad has seen significant changes from their previous tour of South Africa, which included a series of tight matches.
These changes reflect the selectors’ aim to strengthen the team, particularly in the batting and bowling areas.
Pakistan have made seven changes to the squad for the tour of South Africa. The selectors have strategically chosen a combination of retained players and fresh faces. The most notable change is the return of experienced players like Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Haris who will strengthen Pakistan’s batting line-up.
On the other hand, a few players have been rested for workload management, including key pacers like Amir Jamal, Mohammad Abbas and Naseem Shah.
Shaan Masood is leading the team as captain while Saud Shakeel has been given the responsibility of vice-captain. Masood’s leadership skills will be tested in this important series against West Indies.
The selectors have opted to retain several key players from the South Africa tour. Among them, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Muhammad Rizwan, Khurram Shehzad, and Nauman Ali are worth mentioning.