Pakistan Plan Test Shake-Up Before Sri Lanka Series
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has decided on a Pakistan Test shake-up before the home series against Sri Lanka. The changes include a new opening combination and pace-friendly home pitches, after a poor run of results in 2026.
Pakistan will host Sri Lanka in a two-match series. The first Test starts in Rawalpindi on November 9, and the second follows in Lahore on November 17. The series is Pakistan’s first home Test assignment of the year, even though the team has already played seven Tests in three away series.
The shake-up follows a hard year. Pakistan lost six of its seven Tests in 2026. Bangladesh beat Pakistan 2-0, England won 3-0, and the West Indies series ended 1-1. The only win came against the West Indies. Those results pushed Pakistan to ninth place among ten teams in the ICC Test rankings, with only Zimbabwe below them. Pakistan also sit at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings.
Pakistan Test shake-up: new pitches for home Tests
Hesson has told ground staff to prepare pace-friendly surfaces for both matches against Sri Lanka. The move marks a clear break from recent home practice. Pakistan have often relied on slow, spin-friendly pitches at home. The new plan aims to help the team perform better on lively pitches, above all on away tours.
Ground staff are now working on surfaces that offer more help to fast bowlers. The logic is simple. If Pakistan’s batters and bowlers learn to play on pitches with pace and bounce at home, they will cope better when they tour countries where such pitches are normal. The risk is also clear. A lively pitch can help the visiting bowlers just as much, and Sri Lanka’s attack will enjoy the same conditions.
Rawalpindi and Lahore will test the plan at once. Both venues must produce pitches that last five days yet still reward fast bowling.
Five players drop out of the plans
The team management also plans major changes to the playing eleven. Five players who featured in the final Test against England are no longer part of the plans. They are Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Mohammad Imran and Mohammad Ali.
Masood scored 95 runs in the first innings of the Birmingham Test, but Hesson reportedly believes it is time to give a younger player a chance in place of the 37-year-old batter. The call shows the scale of the reset. A captain’s past service does not guarantee a place when results have fallen so far.
Pakistan are also expected to open with a new pair. Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal have emerged as the leading contenders for the opening slots. Both would bring fresh energy to a top order that has struggled to build solid starts. The opening pair sets the tone for a Test innings, and Pakistan’s recent failures often began with early wickets.
Bowlers and Babar Azam
Mohammad Abbas and Razaullah are expected to join the national squad after the three-day match against Sri Lanka. Both fast bowlers play for the PCB Patron’s XI and count as strong candidates for selection. Their inclusion fits the new pitch plan. Pace-friendly surfaces need bowlers who can use them, and Abbas brings experience while Razaullah offers a fresh option.
Hesson has also advised Babar Azam to play domestic four-day cricket to regain batting form. The former captain is now playing in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy after the coach’s advice. The move carries a message for the whole squad. Form must be earned in domestic cricket, not assumed from past reputation.
The PCB has also made domestic participation compulsory. Leading players must now represent their departments and regions, despite reported reluctance from some players. That rule links the national team to the domestic game and gives selectors a current form guide.
Why this series matters
The Sri Lanka series is Pakistan’s next assignment after success in the tri-nation ODI series. It also starts the work for the next World Test Championship cycle. Officials hope that younger players and a more aggressive approach will lift results.
The home setting adds pressure. Pakistan have not played a home Test all year, so Rawalpindi and Lahore crowds will expect a strong response to the away defeats. A series win would lift the ranking and the mood. A further defeat, on new pitches chosen by the home team, would raise harder questions about the reset.
Related coverage: Pakistan Test squad for Sri Lanka, Shaheen Afridi climbing the ICC ODI rankings, Shane Deitz set as Pakistan women head coach, India beating New Zealand in the rain-hit first ODI.
Frequently asked questions
When does Pakistan play Sri Lanka in Tests?
The first Test starts in Rawalpindi on November 9, 2026. The second Test starts in Lahore on November 17, 2026.
Why is Pakistan changing its Test team?
Pakistan lost six of seven Tests in 2026, including a 2-0 defeat to Bangladesh and a 3-0 defeat to England. The team sits ninth in the ICC Test rankings and last in the World Test Championship standings.
Who is out of the Test plans?
Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Mohammad Imran and Mohammad Ali, all of whom played in the final Test against England, are no longer part of the plans, according to reports.
Who could open the batting?
Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal have emerged as the leading contenders for a new opening combination.
What is the new pitch plan?
Coach Mike Hesson has asked for pace-friendly surfaces in Rawalpindi and Lahore, to help Pakistan perform better on lively pitches at home and on away tours.
What about Babar Azam?
Hesson advised Babar Azam to play domestic four-day cricket to regain form. He is playing in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, and the PCB now requires leading players to play domestic cricket.
