Pakistani batting star Babar Azam is likely to bat at number four in the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh while Abdullah Shafiq’s spot as an opener is not under any threat. Captain Shan Masood will take the number three spot in the batting order, dropping Babar Azam to an unfamiliar number-four position in the two-match Test series starting August 21.
Muhammad Huraira is a ‘strong’ candidate to make his debut in the Test series. Apart from opening, Babar Azam has previously batted in the number three spot in limited-overs cricket. The trend started to see a change in red-ball cricket during Pakistan’s tour of Australia last year. In 2022, Babar Azam batted in the number three position in their tour of Sri Lanka as well. Later that year, Babar Azam came out to bat in the same spot during the second Test against England.
Pakistan’s Test squad and performance in lead up to the Bangladesh series.
Pakistan will play two ICC World Test Championship fixtures in Rawalpindi and Karachi. The first Test will be held from August 21 to 25 while the second will start on August 30 and conclude on September 3. As per Geo News, Pakistan will be fielding three pacers and a single spinner for the upcoming Test. The primary reason behind this approach is the bowling-friendly pitches in Pakistan.
Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Mir Hamza will most likely feature as the three pacers. Bangladesh men’s cricket team touched down in Lahore on August 13. The team was taken to a private hotel from the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.
Strict security arrangements were made to ensure the safety of the foreign cricketers. The series will be Jason Gillespie’s first major assignment as Pakistan’s Test coach. It was earlier announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that no spectators will be allowed during the second Test match.
Pakistan have not competed in a Test match since their series loss against Australia earlier this year. The Asian powerhouse endured 0-3 clean sweep on the tour. They lost the opening fixture by 360 runs, the second match by 79 runs and the final game by eight wickets. However Bangladesh fast bowlers Shoriful Hasan has other plans for star studded Pakistan batting line up.
Shoriful Islam on Babar Azam ahead of PAK vs BAN 2 Match Test series
With the much-anticipated two-match Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh ready to get underway on August 21, Shoriful Islam, Bangladesh’s star pacer, made his intentions clear: he wants Babar Azam’s wicket at any cost.
Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam dreams of taking Babar Azam’s wicket in the upcoming two-Test series against Pakistan, beginning on August 21 in Rawalpindi. The 23-year-old recalled playing with the former Pakistan captain in Pakistan Super League (PSL) and remembered how good he was as a person.
Despite Babar Azam’s recent inconsistent performances, he has a formidable record in Tests against Bangladesh. The Lahore-born cricketer has aggregated 242 runs only in 3 Tests, averaging 80.67 with one hundred and a half-century.
Speaking to reporters, Islam named Babar and Pakistan captain Shan Masood as their main batters and reckons playing away will be a challenging task. As quoted by cricketpakistan.pk, he stated:
“Babar and Shan Masood are world-class batters. But our bowling attack is also strong enough. We can put up a strong fight against them. Our task will be difficult as they play in their home ground. We have to stay prepared. Babar is a tough challenge for Bangladesh. So, we have to take his wicket quickly. He is also my dream wicket. I will be very happy if I can get his wicket. I played with him last year in the CPL. He is a very good person.”
The two sides last played a Test series in late 2021 in Bangladesh. The visitors wrapped up the series 2-0 as they were a standout team across formats.
Shoriful Islam hopes to extract purchase from Rawalpindi pitch
Shoriful Islam expressed his optimism to find sufficient help from the surface in the first Test. Further, he underlined that Test cricket requires players to be in a different mould physically and mentally, but is confident of coming into the groove. The left-arm pacer said:
“I’ve heard there’s expected to be patches of grass on the pitch, though I haven’t seen it myself yet. Every fast bowler likes that because it offers seam movement. So, if that’s the case, it’s definitely a good thing. Test cricket requires a different kind of preparation, mentally and physically. But we still have some time before the match, and I believe that by the 21st, with more practice sessions, my fitness and bowling will be well-suited for red-ball cricket.”
The first Test will take place in Rawalpindi, while Karachi will host the second and final game.