After going 15 years without hosting a Test, Rawalpindi was hosting its second one in as many months. Unlike in December, though, better weather is forecast and on a surface with a green tinge, Azhar Ali decided Pakistan will bowl against a depleted Bangladesh side.
Pakistan made no changes from their previous XI that beat Sri Lanka by 263 runs five weeks ago in Karachi. This meant Bilal Asif, the recalled offspinner, and Faheem Ashraf will need to wait for their opportunities.
Bangladesh had to ring in five changes to the side that last played a Test, in Kolkata. For starters, Liton Das will keep wicket in Mushfiqur Rahim’s absence. Mushfiqur opted out of the tour citing security concerns and is currently looking to prove his match fitness in the Bangladesh Cricket League having recovered from a hamstring injury. Mominul Haque, the captain, drops down to No. 4. It was also confirmed that debutant Saif Hassan will open alongside Tamim Iqbal.
Shadman Islam and Imrul Kayes, who were the openers in their previous Test, aren’t part of the squad, while Rubel Hossain, who wasn’t on the tour of India, is returning to the Test XI for the first time in 18 months, having last featured in the Caribbean in July 2018. There was also no place for Mehidy Hasan, Nayeem Hasan and Al-Amin Hossain, all of whom started in Bangladesh’s previous Test.
Tamim, who missed the tour of India, returns on the back of scoring a historic triple-century last week. His 334 not out in Mirpur is Bangladesh’s highest-ever first-class score.
This is the second leg of Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan. They were whitewashed in the T20Is in January. After this Test, Pakistan’s players will dive into the PSL and round off the tour in April, when Bangladesh return for an ODI and the second Test.
Pakistan: 1 Shan Masood, 2 Abid Ali, 3 Azhar Ali (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Asad Shafiq, 6 Haris Sohail, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Mohammad Abbas, 10 Shaheen Afridi, 11 Naseem Shah
Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Nazmul Hossain, 4 Mominul Haque (capt), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Liton Das (wk), 7 Mohammad Mithun, 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Rubel Hossain, 10 Abu Jayed, 11 Ebadat Hossain
Source: ESPN Crickinfo