Pakistan have announced a 19-member Test squad for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) fixtures against the West Indies. The two-Test series will commence at Sabina Park on Thursday
The squad was confirmed by Pakistan captain Babar Azam during his pre-series media conference on Wednesday.
"Looking at the likely team composition for the two Tests and giving preference to wellbeing of the players, it has been agreed to release Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz so that they can return to Pakistan and spend quality time with their families," Babar said in a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) release."This will also give them a few extra days to relax, regroup and recharge for the commitment ahead, which commence with the series against Afghanistan.
"The past 12 months have been tough and the cricket that lays ahead is equally challenging and demanding. As such, we need to have as many fresh bodies as practically possible without comprising on the team results and performances," he added.
Talking about the upcoming Test series against West Indies, Babar said," Away Test series are always challenging and it is our endeavour to be a high-performing side on away series. Red-ball cricket is the pinnacle format of the game and is a test of skill, endurance, technique, patience and fitness.
"Test cricket does not allow you to show complacency at any stage and this is what we will like to achieve at the Sabina Park over the next couple of weeks.
"Jamaican pitches provide a good challenge to the batters hence our batters need to come to the party and display their true potential and calibre in the two Tests. They have performed well this year and it is now time to take that confidence into the Test series and put up an improved and enhanced performance," he added.
In the 17 Test series played between the two teams, Pakistan enjoy a 6-5 edge over the West Indies. However, the West Indies has a clear 4-1 lead over Pakistan in the eight series played in the Caribbean.
In the last meeting between the two sides in 2016-17, Pakistan ended their win drought in the Caribbean by clinching their first-ever Test series victory by 2-1.
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc and wk), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Yasir Shah, and Zahid Mahmood
( With inputs from ANI )
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