Pakistan is set to host Bangladesh for a two-match Test series starting on August 21, as part of the World Test Championship (WTC). The first Test will be held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the final match scheduled at Karachi’s National Stadium on August 30.
All eyes will be on Pakistan’s star pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is just nine wickets away from reaching a significant milestone. If Shaheen manages to take nine wickets during the series, he will become the first Pakistani bowler to achieve 100 wickets in the World Test Championship.
Shaheen’s current tally stands at 91 wickets, making him Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in the WTC. He is followed by Naseem Shah with 51 wickets and Yasir Shah with 41.
The Bangladesh team arrived in Pakistan amid political turmoil in their country, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already announced ticket sales for the first Test. However, the second Test will be played without spectators due to ongoing maintenance work at the National Stadium in preparation for the Champions Trophy 2025.
Pakistan’s Test Squad: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Bangladesh’s Test Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, and Syed Khaled Ahmed.
