Pak vs Ban: Babar Azam – the right-hand star batter of the Pakistan Cricket Team – will bat at number four in the first Test on home soil against Bangladesh.
According to the media reports, the batting position of Abdullah Shafiq as an opener is not under threat in the Pak vs Ban test series, while captain Shan Masood will bat at number three. Moreover, Muhammad Huraira is a strong candidate to make a debut.
Pakistan and Bangladesh will play two ICC World Test Championship fixtures in Rawalpindi and Karachi from August 21 to 25 and August 30 to September 3, respectively.
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The cricket team of Bangladesh arrived in Lahore from Dhaka on August 13. The Bengali team was taken to a private hotel under strict security arrangements from the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.
It is pertinent to mention here that ICC dropped the list of top-ranking ODI batsmen and Babar Azam continues to hold the top position in the International Cricket Council’s ODI batting ranking. India’s Rohit Sharma has moved up one place to second, while his compatriot Shubman Gill has dropped one spot to third.
Squads
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mahmudullah, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan. Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed and Khaled Ahmed.
