Uncapped Shaheen Afridi, Saad Ali in Pakistan squad for NZ tests
Mohammad Amir was left out again, while Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan were rested for the first two Tests against New Zealand
ESPNcricinfo staff
10-Nov-2018
Shaheen Afridi roars after taking a wicket • Getty Images
Despite scoring 160 runs in his debut Test match against Australia last month, opener Fakhar Zaman has been left out of Pakistan's squad for the first two Tests against New Zealand. A PCB media release said that he along with legspinner Shadab Khan were rested. Mohammad Amir was ignored again, but 18-year-old Shaheen Afridi, who is uncapped in Test cricket, found a place in the squad.
Batsman Saad Ali, also uncapped in Test cricket, was rewarded for his 144 for Pakistan A against a New Zealand A attack that included internationals Neil Wagner and Scott Kuggeleijn.
Besides that, the squad was largely unchanged. Opener Imam-ul-Haq was included in the squad, indicating that his retiring hurt on Friday was more precautionary than anything else. Fakhar's absence will allow Mohammad Hafeez to consolidate his position at the top.
Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, and Mir Hamza are the frontline quicks in the squad. In all, Afridi has played only two first-class games, taking 11 wickets at an average of 17.27. He was in excellent form, though, in the ODIs against New Zealand, claiming back-to-back four-wicket hauls.
A PCB statement said chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq had chosen Afridi with his current form in mind, while Saad was rewarded for his consistent domestic performances.
The first Test will take place from 16 November in Abu Dhabi, with the second in Dubai from 24 November. The teams will move to Abu Dhabi, again, for the third Test, which starts on December 3. With the conditions in the UAE predictably conducive to spin, seam-bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf, who has been selected again, might not get a game. Pakistan had preferred to go with four bowlers and an extra batsman in Haris Sohail in the series against Australia, with his form and ability to pitch in with left-arm spin counting in his favour.
With Mohammad Abbas's series-defining performances against Australia ensuring he's an automatic starter, the remaining fast bowlers are competing for, at most, two other places.