A proposal has emerged to include some players from the Pakistani national team in the Shaheens’ squad for the upcoming match against Bangladesh A, ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh.
This proposal is notably supported by Waqar Younis, a close aide to Mohsin Naqvi.
Players such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, and others, who recently played in the T20 World Cup, are expected to join the training camp.
In the four-day match against Bangladesh A starting on August 10 at Islamabad Club, Jason Gillespie will either be the head coach of Pakistan Shaheens or stay with the team to closely observe the players’ performance and positions. Gillespie is scheduled to return to Pakistan on August 6.
Selectors Mohammad Yousuf and Asad Shafiq, in consultation with Shan Masood and Jason Gillespie, will announce the names of potential players for the Test team training camp.
New PCB consultant Waqar Younis has begun his responsibilities at the headquarters and, during a meeting in Lahore on Thursday, reviewed the selection policy for Pakistan Shaheens against Bangladesh A.
It was discussed that players who have not played for Pakistan since the Sydney Test in January should be given a chance in the four-day match starting on August 10.
The four-day match will be held from August 10 to 13 at Islamabad Club, and a training camp for the Pakistani Test team will also begin at Pindi Stadium on August 10.
Sources indicate that the series between Pakistan and Bangladesh and between Pakistan Shaheens and Bangladesh A will be held simultaneously.
Therefore, a large pool of players will be created in the camp to allow the inclusion of Shaheens players in the national team if needed.
Players from the Pakistan team such as Abdullah Shafiq, Abrar Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, and Nauman Ali, who have not played a four-day match since January, will need practice.
Sources also suggest that after receiving authority from Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, Waqar Younis emphasized policy-making in the meeting and aimed to create a large pool of players to keep them in practice with the Test series in mind.