Pakistan have confirmed their playing XI for the second Test against England hours after the visitors did the same. The hosts have taken a few tough decisions after the loss in the first Test dropping players like Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi. For the unversed, Pakistan lost the first Test by an innings and 47 runs in Multan.
Kamran Ghulam will make his Test debut and is set to replace Babar at number four in the line-up while they haven't picked a genuine fast bowler at all in the playing XI. Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mehmood are the three specialist spinners picked and none of them played in the first Test. Abrar Ahmed continues to recover from illness and he has been left out as well.
Pakistan's playing XI for second Test vs England: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (C), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (VC), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood
Interestingly, the spin trio that is making a comeback to the Test team has a total experience of 25 matches with Noman Ali playing 15 of them. Sajid Khan last played for Pakistan earlier this year against Australia in Sydney. Zahid Mehmood is returning to the Test team for the first time since December 2022 while Noman played his last Test for Pakistan in July 2023.
Moreover, Pakistan are using the same pitch used in the first Test in Multan hoping that it will turn right from Day 1 of the second Test. For the same reason, the home team hasn't picked a specialist fast bowler with Aamer Jamal being given the responsibility of being the lone seamer. Pakistan are winless at home in Tests for the last 11 matches since March 2022 and are desperately trying everything to return to the winning ways.
