Shaheen Shah Afridi is ready to return to Test cricket after being included within the Pakistan squad for subsequent month’s two-match sequence towards Sri Lanka.
The 23-year-old quick bowler sustained a knee damage throughout in Sri Lanka final July and has since missed dwelling Test sequence towards England and New Zealand.
“I dearly missed Test cricket and it was tough for me to be away from this format,” Afridi mentioned on Saturday.
“After missing our entire home season because of the injury, I’m eager to make an impactful comeback in the same country and complete a century of wickets in Test cricket.
“I wish to thank my followers who’ve offered me help in powerful instances and I’m prepared for the challenges forward.”
The left-arm Afridi has 99 wickets in 25 Test matches since making his debut in 2018.
The Pakistan Cricket Board said that itinerary for the two Test matches will be announced by Sri Lanka Cricket in due course, but a short camp will be organised at Karachi from July 3.
Pakistan’s 16-member squad includes uncapped 21-year-old batter Mohammad Huraira and allrounder Aamir Jamal. Selectors kept faith in former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as the second wicketkeeper option.
Huraira has been Pakistan’s leading run-scorer over the last two seasons in domestic first-class cricket. He smashed 1024 runs with four centuries and two half-centuries in the last season and led his team, Northern, to their maiden first-class title in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Huraira became Pakistan’s second-youngest batter to score a first-class triple century behind legendary Javed Miandad when he made 311 against Baluchistan during the 2021-22 season.
The 27-year-old Jamal took 31 wickets with his fast bowling in the last domestic season, including two five-wicket hauls. He came into the spotlight when he defended 15 runs against England in his Twenty20 debut last year and earned Pakistan a thrilling six-run victory.
The series will be the first assignment for former South Africa international Morne Morkel as Pakistan’s bowling coach after he was appointed on a six-month contract.
PAKISTAN SQUAD: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
