Pakistan Updates Test Squad for Sri Lanka Series with Four Additions

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced updates to the national cricket team lineup ahead of the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka. Selectors have brought in four new players, bolstering both the batting order and bowling attack for the forthcoming fixtures.

Among the inclusions are fast-bowling all-rounder Aamer Jamal alongside three players receiving their maiden international call-ups: fast bowler Ali Shabbir, batter Muhammad Tayyab Arif, and pacer Saqib Khan. These additions follow an initial squad reveal by the board. The newly selected trio recently participated in a three-day practice match representing the Patron’s XI against the visiting Sri Lankan side at the Islamabad Club.

To accommodate the new selections, players Ali Usman and Abdullah Fazal have been released from the initial roster. The finalized group features Babar Azam as captain, alongside Aamer Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Tayyab Arif, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saqib Khan, and Saud Shakeel.

Form and Domestic Success

Jamal returns to the Test setup carrying international experience across all three formats, having featured in nine Tests, three ODIs, and six T20Is. The 30-year-old earned his recall through standout domestic performances, notably claiming seven wickets for 32 runs and scoring a fifty in the President’s Trophy Grade-I final. Tayyab secured his spot after leading the first-class season charts with 727 runs across seven matches at an average of 66.09, which included three centuries. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Ali has collected 22 wickets in eight first-class matches, and Saqib emerged as a leading wicket-taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy by taking 47 wickets in nine appearances.

Four players join the Pakistan squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, bringing three maiden call-ups.

Match Schedule

The opening fixture of the two-match series is scheduled to begin on Monday, 9 November, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Why it matters

This roster revision introduces fresh domestic talent to the highest level of international cricket while integrating experienced campaigners like Aamer Jamal. The changes reshape the team's balance ahead of a competitive series against Sri Lanka, offering emerging performers a platform to debut on home soil.