“As part of workload management, the pace quartet of Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Abbas, Mir Hamza, and Naseem Shah has been rested,” the PCB said in a media release.
Abbas was a standout performer in the South Africa series, ending as the joint-highest wicket-taker with ten wickets from the two Tests – including his 100th Test victim. Those were his first Tests for three years. His resting is likely also a result of the expected condition of the pitches – aiding spin – on which his relatively slower pace might not offer a threat.
There is no place in the squad again for Shaheen Afridi, who also didn’t play in the Tests in South Africa. With Naseem also out, it means that a home season that began with Pakistan talking up their pace depth and fielding an all-pace attack will end with Shaheen and Naseem having played two and three Tests out of nine. The pair was widely seen as the attack’s pace spearheads when the season began but neither managed to play two Tests consecutively. Tellingly, when Pakistan fielded an all-pace attack in Cape Town against South Africa in their most recent Test, neither made it to the XI.
Saim Ayub, who sustained a fracture of his right ankle during the first Test against South Africa, is also missing from the squad. That will mean a new opening combination for the series as Abdullah Shafique, on the back of a prolonged run of poor form compounded by three ducks in three ODIs in South Africa, has also been dropped. The selectors have picked Imam-ul-Haq and Muhammad Hurraira in their places.
Rohail Nazir will be the back-up wicketkeeper for Mohammad Rizwan. He replaces Haseebullah Khan, who split the webbing on his right hand in South Africa.
Both Tests against West Indies will be played in Multan, with the first starting on January 17 and the second on January 25.
Pakistan Test squad for West Indies series
Shan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel (vice-capt), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, Salman Agha
