Pakistan announce 16-man squad for Test series against Sri Lanka; Shaheen Afridi returns to spearhead bowling unit 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 16-man squad for the upcoming two-match away Test series against Sri Lanka, which will kickstart their 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

The biggest takeaway comes in the form of the return of Shaheen Afridi to the red-ball setup. The left-arm pacer's last Test match outing, coincidentally, came in Sri Lanka, where he suffered a serious knee injury. While he recovered in time to play in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, he aggravated the injury further in the final, causing him to miss the home series against England and New Zealand.

Speaking about the opportunity to play red-ball cricket once again with the national team, Afridi said in a statement released by Cricket Pakistan:

“I am very excited to be returning to the Pakistan Test side after a year. I dearly missed Test cricket and it was tough for me to be away from this format."

He continued:

“After missing our entire home season because of the injury I suffered in Sri Lanka, I am eager to make an impactful comeback in the same country and complete a century of wickets in Test cricket. I want to thank my fans who have provided me support in tough times and I am ready for the challenges ahead.”

Shaheen Afridi made his return from injury during the white-ball home series against New Zealand in April-May this year. He is representing Nottinghamshire in the ongoing T20 Blast tournament in England.

The Pakistan squad also features two uncapped players in Mohammad Huraira and all-rounder Aamir Jamal. Despite questions surrounding his Test captaincy, Babar Azam will continue to lead the side, with Mohammad Rizwan as the deputy.

Pakistan have a set batting unit with credible batters like Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, and Saud Shakeel. The team is devising to fill the void left by Azhar Ali in the batting unit after his retirement earlier this year. The likes of Mir Hamza, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shan Masood were included in the batting unit during their home series against New Zealand in the absence of the veteran batter.

Additionally, former South Africa bowler Morne Morkel has also been officially appointed as the bowling coach by the PCB, and he will soon join the squad. The team is scheduled to hold a camp in Karachi on July 3 before leaving on July 9.

Pakistan squad for two-match Test series against Sri Lanka

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, and Shan Masood

Is Shaheen Afridi's return the boost that Pakistan need to overturn their red-ball misfortunes? Let us know what you think.