Pakistan inject fresh blood in 16-member squad for Bangladesh Test tour

The Pakistan Cricket Board has named four uncapped players in its 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series in Bangladesh next month.

The selection, announced this week, features left-handed openers Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awais, pace-bowling all-rounder Amad Butt, and wicketkeeper-batsman Muhammad Ghazi Ghouri.

While Ghouri recently made his One-Day International debut against Bangladesh in March, the other three players have no prior international experience.

The selectors rewarded domestic form, particularly from the recent President's Trophy and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournaments.

The 30-year-old Butt earned his maiden call-up following a standout season for PTV in the President's Trophy, where he claimed a tournament-high 32 wickets in seven matches at an average of 19.21.

The pace bowler brings significant domestic experience to the squad, having secured more than 200 first-class wickets since his debut in 2015.

Fazal, 23, secured his spot after finishing as the leading run-scorer in the President's Trophy. Playing for the State Bank of Pakistan, he compiled 622 runs at an average of 51.83, including two centuries.

He is joined by fellow left-handed opener Awais, who transitioned directly from the 2024 Under-19 World Cup to dominate the domestic circuit. Awais led the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy scoring charts in his debut season, amassing 844 runs for Sialkot at an average of 76.72. Across two years of first-class cricket, Awais has accumulated 2,673 runs with 10 centuries.

Ghouri, also 23, bolsters the squad's wicketkeeping options following a highly productive domestic season. He earned his Test selection after finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the President's Trophy with 531 runs at an aggressive strike rate of nearly 86.

The Pakistan Test squad is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka in early May for the two-match series.