The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that spinner Abrar Ahmed and top-order batter Kamran Ghulam will not be part of the squad for the first Test against Bangladesh.
PCB stated that both players have been released to represent Pakistan Shaheens in the second four-day match against Bangladesh A, starting on 20 August in Islamabad.
Selectors have opted to rely on a pace attack for the Rawalpindi Test due to overcast conditions, deciding not to include Abrar in the playing XI.
Instead of being benched, the spinner has been assigned to Pakistan Shaheens to gain match practice ahead of the second Test, scheduled to start on 30 August.
Kamran Ghulam has also been released from the Test squad and will captain Pakistan Shaheens in the upcoming four-day match.
Previously, Saud Shakeel led the Shaheens in the first four-day match against Bangladesh A.
The exclusion of these two players reduces Pakistan’s Test squad to 15 members for the first match.
However, both Abrar and Kamran are expected to rejoin the squad for the second Test, bringing the total number of players back to 17.