Pakistan Name Four Newcomers for Bangladesh Tests

Pakistan have included four uncapped or relatively inexperienced players in their 16-member squad for next month’s two-match Test series in Bangladesh. The squad was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday, with selections reflecting recent performances in domestic competitions.

The four players are left-handed openers Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awais, pace-bowling all-rounder Emad Butt, and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Ghazi Ghori. Among them, Ghori has one One Day International appearance, while the others are yet to make their international debuts.

Emad Butt

Emad Butt, aged 30, is one of the more experienced performers in Pakistan’s domestic circuit. Since making his first-class debut in 2015, he has played 64 matches. With the bat, he has accumulated 9,583 runs at an average of 23.48, including one century and ten half-centuries. As a right-arm pace bowler, he has taken 205 wickets at an average of 25.55, including nine five-wicket hauls in an innings and two ten-wicket match hauls.

His recent selection is largely attributed to his performance in the President’s Trophy, where he represented PTV. In seven matches, he claimed 32 wickets at an average of 19.21, the highest for his team, and also contributed 206 runs. In a notable match against SNGPL, PTV secured victory defending a target of just 40 runs, a record for the lowest successful defence in first-class cricket, with Emad taking four wickets in that game.

Abdullah Fazal

The 23-year-old opener Abdullah Fazal was the leading run-scorer in the current season of the President’s Trophy. Playing for State Bank of Pakistan, he scored 622 runs in seven matches at an average of 51.83, including two centuries and two half-centuries.

He also impressed in the National T20 Cup, scoring 189 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 167.25. Since his first-class debut in 2024, Fazal has accumulated 1,828 runs at an average of 41.54, including four centuries and ten fifties. He is currently playing for Rawalpindi in the Pakistan Super League.

Azan Awais

Azan Awais, who featured in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, made his first-class debut in the same year. In his debut season, he was the highest run-scorer in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, scoring 844 runs at an average of 76.72. His tally included four centuries and two half-centuries, and his team Sialkot went on to win the tournament.

In the same season’s President’s Trophy, he scored 578 runs at an average of 41.28, including two centuries and three fifties. Across his two-year first-class career, Awais has played 33 matches, scoring 2,673 runs at an average of 48.60, with ten centuries and nine half-centuries.

Mohammad Ghazi Ghori

Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Ghazi Ghori, aged 23, made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in March. He has now earned a place in the Test squad following strong performances in the President’s Cup.

In that tournament, Ghori scored 531 runs in seven matches at an average of 48.27, making him the second-highest run-scorer. His strike rate of 85.92 reflects an approach suited to modern cricket. Since making his first-class debut in 2023, he has scored 1,692 runs in 26 matches at an average of 41.26, including three centuries and ten half-centuries.

Summary of Key Statistics

These selections underline the PCB’s reliance on domestic performance as a pathway to the national side ahead of the Bangladesh Test series.