Pakistan has announced an 18-member squad ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka starting on July 16. Experienced leg-spinner Yasir Shah has returned to the team after a long absence.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced the squad for the two-match Test series.

According to Dawn, Yasir Shah, who has been out of the field for a long time due to a finger injury, is in the announced squad. Yasir last played a Test match in August 2021. He was instrumental in Pakistan’s series win in Sri Lanka in 2015. He took 24 wickets at an average of 19.33.

Reacting after the squad was announced, chief selector Mohammad Wasim said, “We have picked this squad considering the conditions in Sri Lanka. This team is made up of the best possible ones. The team has been boosted by the return of Yasir Shah to our spin department. He had earlier proved himself as a match winner on the Sri Lanka tour. ’

The Pakistan team will hold a seven-day preparatory camp at the Pindi Cricket Stadium from June 25. They will leave for Sri Lanka on July 6; The first Test starts in Galle on July 16. And the second one starts on the 24th of the same month, at the R Premadasa Stadium.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Yasir Shah.