Aamer Jamal is back in the Pakistan Test squad for the home series against Sri Lanka, joined by three uncapped players in a 16-man party named on Saturday. The additions, announced on Saturday, take the strength of the team to 16.
Batter Mohammad Tayyab Arif and fast bowlers Ali Shabbir and Saqib Khan have earned their first call-ups. They impressed in domestic cricket and in the PCB Patron’s XI three-day practice match against Sri Lanka at the Islamabad Club.
The first Test begins at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday, and the second will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium from November 17 to 21. Both are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, in which Pakistan sit ninth, at the bottom of the table, while Sri Lanka are seventh.
Three new faces in the Pakistan Test squad
Tayyab Arif, 19, has been one of the leading performers in domestic first-class cricket this season, scoring 727 runs in seven matches for Kingsmen Academy at an average of 66.09, with three centuries in his maiden season.
Ali Shabbir, also 19, has taken 22 wickets in eight first-class matches and claimed three in the practice game against Sri Lanka, impressing bowling coach Shaun Tait with his pace and rhythm.
Saqib Khan starred in Karachi Blues’ Quaid-i-Azam Trophy 2025-26 title-winning campaign, finishing with 47 wickets in nine matches at an average of 20.60, including best figures of seven for 34.
The selectors also released slow left-arm spinner Ali Usman and opener Abdullah Fazal from the original 14-member squad, announced on October 24. They had said only two more players would be added after the warm-up. Instead, four came in and two went out, which Dawn called inconsistent decision-making.
Aamer Jamal returns on domestic form
Aamer Jamal, 30, returns on the back of strong domestic form. He has played nine Tests, three ODIs and six T20Is. He was player of the final in the President’s Trophy Grade-I, taking seven for 32 and scoring 55 for Markhor IT Solutions, and scored 74 and 23 captaining Lahore Whites in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Gold.
He was among the players sent home during Pakistan’s recent tour of England. His recall shows domestic form still counts after a setback on tour.
Mohammad Abbas, 36, will lead the pace attack. He has 131 wickets in 33 Tests at an average of 22.67 and wants a maiden five-wicket haul on home soil. His best figures are six for 54, with a match haul of 10 for 95 against Australia in the UAE in 2018.
Abbas welcomed the young players and called it a big opportunity for them to secure their place for the future. He singled out Razaullah, who made an impressive Test debut against England in Birmingham earlier this year, taking four wickets before smashing a rapid 81 with nine sixes.
What the series means
Pakistan have won 23 of 59 Tests against Sri Lanka, losing 17, with 19 drawn, and won the last home series 1-0 in 2019-20. Sri Lanka, led by Kusal Mendis, have named a 15-member squad featuring Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva and Prabath Jayasuriya.
Feature Pakistan reported the original squad announcement on November 4, when the selectors named a 14-member team for the series. The revised squad now reads: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saqib Khan and Saud Shakeel.
Tickets for the second Test in Lahore have gone on sale, so fans can plan around the revised team. Babar Azam leads the side. Pakistan’s win over Bangladesh in the Asian Games cricket final showed the depth of talent coming through the system.
Dawn reported the squad changes. The first Test starts on Monday in Rawalpindi. For a team sitting bottom of the World Test Championship table, it is a chance to start the home season with a win and to give three new players their first taste of Test cricket.
Frequently asked questions
Who was added to the Pakistan Test squad?
Aamer Jamal and three uncapped players, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Ali Shabbir and Saqib Khan, were added for the Sri Lanka series, taking its strength to 16.
When does the Sri Lanka series start?
The first Test begins on Monday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second Test will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium from November 17 to 21.
Who was released from the original squad?
Slow left-arm spinner Ali Usman and opening batter Abdullah Fazal were released from the original 14-member squad announced on October 24.
Where do Pakistan stand in the World Test Championship?
Pakistan sit ninth, at the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 table, while Sri Lanka are seventh.
