Pakistan has decided to opt for an all-out pace attack strategy in the upcoming first test against Bangladesh by releasing the only specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed, from their squad. Leading the attack will be Shaheen Shah Afridi along with Naseem Shah, Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shehzad, and Mir Hamza as the other fast bowling options for the test match in Rawalpindi, set to commence on Wednesday.
Abrar, the leg-spinner, and uncapped batter Kamran Ghulam, who were both part of the 17-member test squad, will instead play for Pakistan Shaheens in a four-day game against Bangladesh “A” starting in Islamabad on Tuesday to gain necessary match practice. The Pakistan Cricket Board stated that the selectors wanted Abrar to get more game time ahead of the second test scheduled to begin in Karachi on Aug. 30. Both Abrar and Ghulam will rejoin Pakistan’s test squad before the second test match.
The last time Pakistan utilized an all-pace attack in a test match was during the home series against Sri Lanka in 2019. With Abrar’s release, all-rounder Salman Ali Agha remains as the sole spin option for Pakistan in the first test. Agha, an off-spinner, has been consistent in his bowling performances in test matches since 2023, having also taken important wickets for Pakistan.