Pakistan Add Four Players to Sri Lanka Test Squad, Three Earn Debuts

Rawalpindi: The Pakistan Cricket Board has added four players to the national squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka. The newcomers are all-rounder Aamir Jamal, fast bowler Ali Shabbir, batter Mohammad Tayyab Arif and fast bowler Saqib Khan.

Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan and Tayyab Arif have been called up to the national team for the first time. All three played in the Patrons XI’s three-day practice match against Sri Lanka at the Islamabad Club from 4 to 6 November. Meanwhile, Ali Usman and Abdullah Fazal, who were part of the initial squad, have been released from the team.

Aamir Jamal has played nine Tests, three One-Day Internationals and six Twenty20 Internationals, and has returned to the Test side. The 30-year-old took seven wickets for 32 runs in the final of the President’s Trophy Grade One and also scored 55 runs.

Tayyab Arif scored 727 runs at an average of 66.09 in seven first-class matches this season, including three centuries. Nineteen-year-old Ali Shabbir has taken 22 wickets in eight first-class matches. Saqib Khan took 47 wickets in nine matches at an average of 20.60 in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26.

The squad is: Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Raza Ullah, Saad Baig, Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saqib Khan and Saud Shakeel.

The first Test will begin on 9 November at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.